Burns As The Phoenix: Book The First
by Skyelah
Summary: 19 years later. An evil new power is rising up against the Wizarding World. A new prophecy is spoken, and the fate of the magical community rests in the hands of the One Who Burns as the Phoenix.
1. London 1868

**London, 1868**

Cassandra Trewlawney lay on her deathbed. The celebrated Seer had been ill for months, a wasting disease that slowly had consumed her body and mind. Now it was time. Her only daughter sat beside her, as she had all through that long night, holding fast to Cassandra's frail and withered hands. Tremors wracked her body as she sobbed, quietly as to not disturb her mother's rest. Knowing that these could be her mother's final minutes had kept her awake, even when the doctors had abandoned their work and returned home. "We've done all we can do," they had said. "We'll leave you to say goodbye." Helen was not ready to say goodbye. She was a witch, why could she not fix this?

Cassandra stirred slightly, slowly blinking her eyes open. The colour of them had washed out, the once brilliant blue was now the palest gray. Everything about her was a pallid gray now, so close to death. Helen felt the movement and leaned in close to her mother, breathing in her scent. The scent of rain and roses... and sickness.

"My child," Cassandra whispered. "Don't be so sad. Death will come to us all." Helen knew the logic behind her mother's words, but she didn't want to believe them. She didn't want her to die.

"How could I not be sad!" Helen choked out at her mother, full of sadness and anger. Her mother was so willing to give up. So willing to leave her, her only daughter, behind. "I'm not ready to say goodbye. I still need you!"

Cassandra smiled weakly at her daughter. Helen was all she had in this life, her greatest love. "I saw how I would die many years ago." The Seer's voice rang with the burden of her Gift. "I saw my self dying in my own home, holding the hand of one whom I love dearly." She smiled at her daughter. Helen smiled back, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Fetch me a drink of water, would you child?" Helen nodded and stood, but not before she had given her mother's hand a final squeeze. Helen brushed of her skirts and turned to walk out of the room. She had not taken more than a few strides when she heard a rattling gasp behind her. "**Beware**!"**  
****  
**Helen turned,. Her mother sat upright in her bed, her body rigid. Her eyes were distant, unseeing, and her hoarse voice rasped from her throat as if she were multitudes speaking simultaneously. A vision.

"**Beware**," she rasped again. "**In triumph, darkness shall rise again... servant as the master, death losing hold... Darkness falls at the hands of the Dark Lady... And the one who burns as the phoenix shall come... Beside her stands the son of lightning, and she shall have a power that evil knows not... her choice alone to save or destroy... the One Who Burns, Burns As The Phoenix, shall come**." The Seer suddenly toppled forward in a fit of coughing.

"Mother!" cried Helen, racing to her side. Cassandra's breath came in shallow gasp, and her face slowly turned a shade of blue as she choked.

"My child!" she cried. She coughed once more, and suddenly slumped back on to her pillows. Her last breath rattled past her lips. She lay there, still and cold, as her daughter cried, great heaving sobs. Helen's tears tracked lines across her mother's face and fell into her hair, glistening in the pale light.

* * *

_Later, Helen would take her memory of her mother's last prophecy to the Ministry of Magic, to be stored with in the Hall of Prophecy. Later, the prophecy will have been thought to be destroyed with all the others during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. Little did anyone know that the prophecy had, in fact, been recovered from Helen's memory years earlier by Albus Dumbledore, realizing it's significance to the fate of the entire Wizarding World, and hidden safely away in the castle of Hogwarts.__  
_  
_Years later, Headmistress McGonagall stood in her office at Hogwarts. She stared out at the Black Lake, watching as the Giant Squid slid across the dark surface._ **The One Who Burns As The Phoenix shall come...** _McGonagall watched as the red-gold leaves of the Whomping Willow fell, one by one,drifting slowly to the ground_._ In the distance, she could just make out the dim specks of lanterns as the first years crossed the Lake in the boats, seeing the castle for the very first time_. **The Phoenix is here.**


	2. Chapter One: Pepper

It was a quiet afternoon in Belgravia, London, almost too quiet. No one was out on the streets, even though the sun was bright and cheerful above the perfectly manicured lawns. The stately mansions and family homes were mostly empty, parents working and prestigious jobs and children at summer camps, with the exception of Number 7. If anyone had been on the street a few minutes earlier, they would have heard a loud argument coming from within. Now, Pepper was flopped out on her bed, bouncing the red rubber ball off the wall repeatedly and catching it. Her father had sent her up to her room 20 minutes ago for throwing the ball at the door to his office.

"Philippa, you stop that nonsense right now!" He had shouted at her when he finally took notice of her, poking his head out of his office door. She had narrowly avoided hitting him in the face with the ball. "You're interrupting a very important conference call!" Pepper had stuck her tongue out at him. That's when he had shouted at the nanny to escort her up to her room.

Pepper spent a lot of time being sent up to her room. It was the only way that anyone would pay her any attention in this household. Her father was always too busy working to spend time with his daughter, and the hired help believed that if they weren't paid to be nice to the kid, then they didn't have to be. Pepper's nanny, a mean old lady of about 300 years (at least, that's how old she looked), spent all of her time watching lame soap operas on the flat screen. She never paid any attention to Pepper except when she was yelling at her for doing something wrong. Her father didn't know, and Pepper didn't think he cared.

Pepper looked nothing like her father, something that she took great delight in. He was a short, fair-haired man with skinny chicken legs and the palest skin ever seen on an office nerd. Pepper's hair was a deep brown, and hung to her waist in perfect ringlets. She was tall for an 11 year-old, nearly 5'0. She was strong too: she'd never lost an arm-wrestling match with the boys at school. None of them ever dared accuse her of cheating. Her golden coloured eyes had a bright and mischievous look to them, one that had branded her as both a genius and a trouble maker.

At school, Pepper was both admired and feared. Teachers thought she was a brilliant student. Her classmates admired her boldness, her strength, and her ability to outsmart her teachers on a regular basis. But behind her back, they whispered. They whispered about the strange things that happened when Pepper was around. Once, when she was 9, Adam Brown was making fun of her and pushing her around on the playground. Suddenly, a tree branch from a perfectly healthy oak tree broke over top of him and pinned him to the ground. Adam broke his arm, and he never, ever bugged Pepper again.

An earlier memory, when Pepper was 4, she had the most horrible nanny. The woman had had a terrifying reputation amongst the children as a spanker. She would beat Pepper and steal from her father. Soon, the nanny started having visions: seeing dead people in her shower, cockroaches in her food, and snakes in her hair. The nanny was admitted in to a mental institution. Of course, not all the incidents were bad. Pepper could recall healing sick animals, growing plant from dead seeds. Once, she could have sworn she flew. Her father told her that it was all in her head, and made her see a psychologist the next day.

Sometimes Pepper wondered if she had caused any of those things to happen, if only by accident. She wondered if magic existed in the world, magic that was looking out for her and protecting her. Sometimes, when Pepper felt especially lonely in this house, she wondered if maybe it was her mother, looking after her from heaven, or where ever it was that people went when they died. Pepper had never known her mother. If she ever asked her father about her mom, he'd get angry and say that she 'went away'. Pepper had always just assumed she was dead.

Pepper caught the ball and held it in her hand. She wished she had a mother right now. Someone who she could turn to. Someone she could tell how she felt neglected by her father. Some who would comfort her and listen to her when she told her about the horrible things Nanny did. Pepper closed her eyes. Her mother would look just like Pepper. She would have a warm smile, and smile lines around her eyes that never went away. Pepper pictured coming straight from school and running right into her mother`s arms.

_TAP TAP TAP. _That would be the Nanny, tapping at the door. Pepper`s father had probably finished his 'important' call and wanted to talk. "Coming!" Pepper called. Yeah, right. If her father wanted to talk to her, he could come up here. Pepper wasn't getting up just for him to yell at her. _TAP TAP TAP. _"I just said I was coming!" Pepper's eyes snapped open. She blinked in confusion. The tapping noise wasn't coming from the Nanny at the door. It was coming from the owl outside the window.

_TAP TAP TAP. _The owl rapped its beak off the glass. Pepper rolled off her bed and crossed the room to her window. She slid it open, and the owl fluttered in. It was a magnificent bird, with stormy gray plumage, gleaming and perfectly preened, and bright, intelligent yellow eyes. The owl stuck its leg out at her, and for the first time, Pepper noticed the letter attached there. Pepper fumbled with the thick twine. When she finally got the letter off, the owl flapped its wings in farewell and took off out the window. Pepper watched as it soared out of sight.

Pepper looked down at the letter in her hands. It was heavy, made of a thick parchment as opposed to paper.

Ms. Philippa Prudence Zaniel  
The Attic Bedroom  
Number 7, Belgravia  
London

, was inscribed on the letter in acid green ink. Pepper flipped the letter over. It was held closed with sealing wax, and stamped with a coat of arms. A serpent, a lion, a badger, and a raven, all grouped around the letter 'H'. Pepper carefully pried the envelope open, taking precaution not to break the seal. She was about to pull the letter out and read it when she heard a loud crash, and a shrill scream from downstairs.


	3. Chapter Two: The Man In The Fireplace

Pepper flew down the stairs two at a time, still clutching the strange letter in her hand. She skittered to a halt when she reached the bottom. One of the maids was curled up against the wall, quivering with fear. Pepper assumed she was the one who had screamed.

"What happened?" Pepper asked. The maid said nothing, just pointed a shaking finger at the door in to the parlor. Pepper stepped forward cautiously, placing each foot carefully in front of the other. As she neared the door, Pepper heard more banging coming from within the parlor, and the occasional cuss word. Pepper poked her head through the door.

The room looked normal, with the exception of the fireplace. Clouds of ash were spewed into the air, coating the freshly vacuumed floor with dust and debris. Pepper saw the shape of a soot-blackened man _inside _the fireplace. "Bloody hell! That's the last time I connect the Floo Network to a muggle house! Would have been easier just to apparate!" Pepper crept around the edge of the room. The man was clearly a burglar, and insane too. Floo Network? Muggles? And how the bloody hell did he fit down the chimney?

Pepper was standing right beside the fireplace now. She reached down slowly and picked up the gleaming fire poker. Someone on staff had obviously just polished it. Sorry, Pepper silently apologized. The man stepped out of the fireplace, coughing and wiping the soot off his face. Pepper raised the poker high above her head. _BANG!___

"OUCH! Bloody -!" he stumbled forward, rubbing the back of his head, where a sizable bump was now forming. He turned on foot to look at Pepper, who raised the poker again. "What'd you do that for?"

"Who are you, and why the hell are you in my house? Talk fast, or I'll call the police!" The man had a look of pained confusion on his face.

"We sent you a letter... Ahh!" Comprehension dawned as he spotted the unopened envelope in her hand. "I guess I got here a little too early."

"What's in the letter?" Pepper was still frightened, but the man had sparked her curiosity. She slowly lowered the poker until it was pointed down at the ground again. The man grinned, his teeth flashing brightly in his soot covered face.

"Open it and find out."

Pepper glanced down at the curious letter in her hand, as her father suddenly burst in to the room. "What the hell-" he began raging, but stopped as he took in the ruined fireplace, the ashen carpet... the soot covered man standing in front of the fireplace and Pepper with the letter in her hand. "Philippa...?"

"Hello sir," said the man, extending his hand towards Pepper father. "I am Professor Neville Longbottom, and I represent Hogwarts School of Witc-" Pepper's father raised his hand, stopping the Professor mid sentence.

"No ... Not Pepper..."

Pepper pulled the letter out of its envelope. They were made of the same heavy yellowed parchment.

Dear Ms. Zaniel,  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of books and supplies that you will require. We will be sending a representative of the school to your home sometime today to explain the situation to you and your family.  
Yours Sincerely  
Minerva McGonagall  
Headmistress

, she read aloud. Her father looked slightly green. He sat himself down heavily on the sofa and placed his face in his hands. Pepper stared at the Professor incredulously.

"Is this a joke?"

"You're special, Pepper." Professor Longbottom adopted Pepper's childhood nickname with ease. "You always have been. From the day you were born, your name was listed to attend Hogwarts."

"There's no such thing as magic." Pepper tried talk with conviction, but she wavered with uncertainty. "Even if there was, there's no possible way that I'm a ... a..."

"A witch?" Professor Longbottom grinned. "It's very possible." From within the folds of his clothes, which Pepper now observed looked very much like a long traveling cloak, he withdrew a thin stick of wood about a foot long. Pepper's father cringed as he did, as if it were a dangerous weapon. The Professor flicked the piece of wood, muttering something incoherent under his breath as he did. Suddenly, a blaze of blue fire appeared in the grate, flaring bright before it faded into a yellow flame.

Pepper stared incredulously at what she now realized was a magic wand. "I want one of those."

The Professor chuckled. "You'll get one, soon enough. That is, if you decide to come to Hogwarts." Pepper nodded excitedly. This was what she had been waiting for. Just that morning, she had questioned the existence of magic, and now she had been handed proof of the very thing she had hoped for.

"No," her father spoke suddenly from the couch. "You can't be a witch. I swore I'd put a stop to that nonsense." He sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

"You knew?" Pepper was incredulous. "You never told me?"

"I suspected. I swore you would be normal. I raised you the same way I would any _normal _child."

Professor Longbottom looked confused, and he spoke up. "Sir, meaning no offense, but you daughter has a wonderful gift. You should be very proud of her."

Pepper looked at her father, silently pleading. He didn't look proud. He looked disgusted, and terrified. Terrified of his own daughter. "Get out of my house. Now."

Professor Longbottom nodded solemnly. "Of course, sir." He turned to Pepper, with a sad smile on his face. His eyes were full of silent apology. Pepper returned his smile, but she could feel the tears starting to track down her cheeks. Taking a deep breath, she shuffled along the carpet towards her father.

"Bye Daddy." She never called him 'Daddy' unless she was scared or upset. She kissed him on the cheek, and felt him shudder at her touch. He turned his head away from her. Pepper turned and fled out of the parlor and up the stairs. She slammed the door to her room so hard that she heard the panes of the window rattling. Pepper stared around her room. She didn't know if she would ever see it again. She lightly ran her hands over her dresser, tracing the letters PPZ she had carved into it when she was 9. Her old trunk was stuffed underneath it, and she pulled it out. What did one take to magic school?

15 minutes later, Pepper dragged her trunk down the stairs, wincing slightly at the loud THUNK that accompanied every step. Her father had left the parlor, but Professor Longbottom was there waiting. He had cleaned the soot off of himself, and Pepper could see he was wearing long robes of deep scarlet. "Are you ready to go?"

Pepper took a deep breath and nodded. The professor reached into his cloak and pulled out a small bag of powder. He threw a handful into the fire, and the flames roared and flared a bright green. "Follow me," he said as he stepped into the fireplace. Pepper cautiously stepped in after him, pulling her trunk up beside her. The fire tickled her skin, but it didn't burn her.

"Take my hand," he commanded, and Pepper did. The Professor gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before shouting "The Leaky Cauldron!" Pepper caught one last glimpse of the parlor before her vision was whisked away in a swirl of green flames.


	4. Chapter Three: Gringotts

There was the sound of rushing wind around Pepper, and she felt her hand slipping in Professor Longbottom's. She clutched tighter, so tight that she could no longer feel the tips of her own fingers. They were slowing down, the flames around them replaced with the view of the interior of a dark and dingy little pub. Professor Longbottom stepped confidently out of the fireplace, and Pepper followed close behind him with her trunk.

"Hannah, sweetheart," Professor Longbottom called at the bartender, a pretty young woman with long blonde curls. "Could you take Ms. Zaniel's trunk up to her room?" Hannah nodded, with a warm smile for Pepper. Pepper looked at Professor Longbottom, surprised. She already had a room? The Professor winked at her, a wink of old camaraderie. "We knew you were coming"

He led her through the little pub, out a back entrance into a small alleyway, enclosed in old brickwork. They stopped in front of the farthest wall, the most maintained. It was completely solid. "This is a dead end," Pepper said, confused.

Professor Longbottom smiled at her, as if he were letting her in on a big secret. "So?" he winked. Professor Longbottom pulled out his wand and tapped the wall. 1, 2, 3 times. There was a horrible, grating sound of rock and mortar rubbing against one another as the wall split open and appeared to melt out of sight. "Welcome to Diagon Alley," Professor Longbottom said with a grin at Pepper's astonishment. The alley was the most twisted, ramshackle, beautiful place she had ever seen. Buildings wound in and out of sight, and wizards and witches in brightly coloured robes lined the streets. As Professor Longbottom led her through the crowd, Pepper heard vendors and shop owners calling to the crowds.

"Dragon Liver, 10 sickles an ounce, today only!"

"Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans! Try our newest flavours, 'Defeat' and 'Broken Computer'!"

"Firebolt, Model 2! New release, price on request!"

Pepper stopped to admire the Firebolt. A sleek, black broomstick, with shining silver attachments she assumed was for ones feet. The broom stick hovered by itself in a display case, and dozens of young witches and wizards pressed their faces up against the glass. "You actually ride broomsticks?"

"Not everything is a myth." Professor Longbottom steered Pepper towards the building at the end of the alley. It was enormous. The building was built of what appeared to be solid marble, and it towered several stories above all other houses and shops in Diagon Alley.

"It looks so..." Pepper searched for the word, "foreboding."

Professor Longbottom chuckled. "Foreboding is the word. Full of secrets, Gringotts is." He led her up the front step. The main hall was huge, a glass-ceilinged atrium with marble floors, inlaid with gold. There was a section in the middle of the floor that was roped off, a huge hole torn through the otherwise perfect floor. There was a small plaque, and the whole thing looked like a tribute to some past event. Polished wooden benches lined each side of the room. Desks, Pepper observed, and sitting at each one of those desks were...

"Goblins," Professor Longbottom explained, noticing her stares. "Keepers of the Wizard bank. They're clever creatures, useful to have on our side, but they aren't always the nicest creatures." Pepper shuffled closer to the Professor.

"Professor, I don't ... I didn't bring any money," Pepper explained as they neared the main desk. A fat goblin glared at her down the length of its nose, it's beady, black eyes sharp.

"May I help you?" he - Pepper assumed it was a he - asked in a voice that sounded like he was chewing gravel.

"I'd like to open an account," Professor Longbottom explained.

"Name?"

"Philippa Zaniel."

The goblin started slightly at the name in surprise. He looked at Pepper more intently. "Philippa Zaniel?" he said her name as if he were appraising her value, the way he would with a precious stone. "We've been expecting you. Follow me." The goblin clambered down from his high stool and started walking towards the back of the bank. Pepper looked at Professor Longbottom, confused. He shrugged and followed after the goblin.

The goblin led them through a set of double doors. This part of the bank wasn't quite so nice. The walls were exposed metal struts, leaning together in such precarious and odd formations that Pepper figured they had to be held up by magic. The goblin took them to an old mining cart, latched to the oddest roller coaster that Pepper had ever seen. The track wound around the walls, down into a deep pit of jagged rock, and disappearing into the darkness of an underground cavern. "Are you sure this is safe?" Pepper asked.

"Quite safe. Don't worry," Professor Longbottom answered. Pepper eyed the cart dubiously, but climbed in and strapped herself into the seat. She cinched the straps as tight as they would go. The Professor did the same. The cart drove them deep into the darkness. They plunged downward, the light above them growing more and more faint as they traveled farther underground.

"How deep does this even go?" Pepper shouted the question. There was a popping sound in her ears, and the sound of wind rushing by her head grew dimmer as her body adjusted to the change in air pressure. A deep chill set into her blood as it grew colder.

"No one really knows for sure. The oldest and most important wizarding families have their vaults on the lowest levels."

"But I don't even have a vault. Why are we going down so deep?" Pepper was confused, and she could tell the Professor was too. Despite the darkness clouding her vision, Pepper thought she glimpsed the rocky bottom of the pit looming before them. The cart lurched to a sudden halt. They were so far underground that Pepper couldn't even see the light that had been above them.

"Follow me, please." The goblin gave what might have been intended as a reassuring grin, but his pointed teeth made it look more like a menacing leer. Pepper stifled a shudder and clambered out of the cart after the goblin, Professor Longbottom close behind.

They were led down a rocky passageway lit only by a ghostly red were light that floated along the walls. Moisture dripped from the ceiling, and the floor was slippery and wet. Pepper took each step gingerly, testing her footing before she placed any weight down. At the end of the passage, and sudden brightness flared. Pepper jumped back in surprise, right on to Professor Longbottom's foot.

"Ouch!"

"Ms. Zaniel, it is best that you lead us now," the goblin stepped aside to allow Pepper to pass. She stood frozen until Professor Longbottom gave her a slight nudge, forward and off of his toes. She cautiously exited the tunnel into an enormous cavern. The cavern was cut into the bedrock, like everything else, but unlike the tunnel it was brightly lit by thousands of floating lights. At the opposite wall of the cavern, there was an ornate door of gold. Normally, Pepper would have examined all of this in awe and wonder, but at the moment her attention was preoccupied by the dragon.

It was a testament to the size of the cavern that the dragon was able to fit inside. It was enormous, the size of at least 3 of Pepper's mansion home. The dragon was entirely white, the colour leached from its scales due to the lack of sunlight. Its great leathery wings were folded neatly against its back, but Pepper knew that if spread, those wings would at least double the span of the cavern. The dragon lifted it's and roared, a loud, blood-curdling cry that reverberated around the cavern and in Pepper's ears. Spurts of flame trickled from the dragon's maw, and Pepper glimpsed huge, razor sharp fangs that were as long as she was tall.

"Don't be afraid," the goblin reassured as the dragon blinked at them with intelligent eyes. "The dragon won't harm anyone of the Pyramus line." The dragon dropped its head level with Pepper's and drew in a deep breath through flared nostrils. It snorted. Pepper thought that it almost sounded amused. The dragon shuffled its feet over to one side of the cavern, allowing them passage.

"The _what_line?"

"Pyramus," Professor Longbottom explained as he pushed Pepper forward. He sounded awed and surprised. "The original family of wizards. All pureblood families are branches, but direct descendants are incredibly rare. Only one in every generation, the eldest child of the eldest in the line of Pyramus's." He looked at her with appraisal. "Your father is a muggle ... do you have any idea who your mother is?"

"As far as I know, she died a long time ago."

At the ornate golden door, the goblin drew a dagger from his belt. "You need the blood of a Pyramus descendant to open the door," he explained as Pepper took an involuntary step back. Pepper shuddered but held out her hand. The goblin ran the knife over her hand gently, but the cold steel bit into her skin and split her palm. The goblin grasped her hand and smeared the blood onto the door.

The door appeared to glow, a violent ruby red, before it melted away. Professor Longbottom quickly grabbed Pepper's hand and gave it a prod with his wand before any of Pepper's blood could spill onto the floor. The wound closed instantaneously.

"After you," the goblin sneered, giving a mock bow. Pepper stepped into the archway where the door had been, but stopped suddenly as her breath was taken away. Treasure, stack in columns, piled against walls, as far as Pepper could see in the dim were light. Mountains of gold and silver coins spilled over shining pewter counting tables and onto the floor. Gems of all shapes and sizes were piled in the corners, as if they had no worth. Suits of armor, dating back to before the Middle Ages were standing complete all around her. Pepper could see items collected from all of history - vases inscribed with hieroglyphics, ancient art, tools and implements.

"Whoa!" Pepper heard Professor Longbottom exclaim as he passed into the room behind her. Pepper nodded, wordlessly stating her agreement.

"There's so much..."

"The Pyramus family has kept this vault for generations, since the Original wizards, passing it to each direct descendant," The goblin explained. "This is the greatest store of treasure in all the Wizarding World." He tossed Pepper a leather sack.

Professor Longbottom stopped gaping at the store long enough to tell Pepper, "Fill that bag with Galleons and Sickles- the gold and silver coins. Enough to get you through the year." Pepper glanced around the vault again. The show of wealth was impressive, but it felt fake to her. These items had no real value beyond how much money they were worth. No one really cared for any of this, so they locked it away where no one would ever see it, admire it. It was sad.

Suddenly, all Pepper wanted to do was get out of there. She swept handfuls of coins off the table as fast as she could. As Pepper turned to leave, a glint of red caught her eye from one of the shelves. She walked over to examine it. The shelf in question was at the perfect height for her to see all of its contents, and the item in question was encased in a clear glass box.

It was a necklace, simple, but beautiful in its simplicity. A silver chain running through a ruby charm. The ruby was perfectly cut, but it looked odd. It looked as if it were burning, like fire made solid, blazing through the stone. Pepper knew that the necklace was ancient, instinctively, but it was in perfect condition, wrapped in silk. It was well cared for, loved, even. Pepper picked it up in her hand, and without prompting, clasped the chain around her neck. The ruby-fire charm nestled perfectly in the hollow of her throat. It felt right. As soon as the charm touched her skin, Pepper heard and felt the flames around her, whispering in her ear, invisible to anyone else.

She turned back to Professor Longbottom and the goblin. Professor Longbottom looked confused, but the goblin had a knowing look in his eye and nodded his approval. "Let's go," she commanded, and they left the strange vault, full of its ancient secrets and whispering of the past.

* * *

_**I'm-a-Muppet-of-a-girl ~** Thank you so very much for your review! Here's another chapter for you :) Oh, and PS - The Muppets are AWESOME!_


	5. Chapter Four: The Wandmaker's Grandson

The rest of the shopping trip passed in silence. Several times, Professor Longbottom would attempt to initiate a conversation, but Pepper only responded in clipped, one or two word answers. Eventually, he stopped trying. He could tell that Pepper's mind was on other things. The only time he spoke was to point out some item that she would need for her first year at Hogwarts.

Pepper's thoughts were still back at that vault in Gringotts. Her mother was a descendant of the oldest and most powerful wizarding family. That made Pepper some kind of wizarding royalty. She should feel excited, but all Pepper could feel was resentment. It was the first time she had ever really resented not having a mother. Her mother should have been there to explain her magical heritage, to prepare her for the day when she too would go to Hogwarts. As much as she appreciated all that Professor Longbottom was doing, this should never have been his job.

"Pepper?" Professor Longbottom's voice snapped her out of her reverie. She smiled apologetically, and Professor Longbottom nodded his understanding. He could guess what she was thinking. "This is Ollivanders wand shop. Do you want me to go in with you?" Pepper examined the little shop. Black paint was peeling of the outer walls, and the words 'Ollivanders, makers of fine wands since 382 BC.' were inscribed in gold ink above the shop window. Pepper shook her head. Choosing a wand felt highly personal to her, and she wanted to do it alone. "I'll wait out here for you then."

Pepper nodded and walked confidently into the small shop. The air was smoky and lay in a thick haze over everything. Boxes upon boxes of wands were stacked on shelves, on chairs, piled on the floor and on the front desk. When Pepper opened the door, a gentle bell rang through the shop, echoing around the walls.

"Hey," came a small voice from behind her. Pepper screamed, shrill and loud in the empty air. "Whoa! Hey it's okay!" Pepper turned on heel. The speaker was a boy, maybe her age, with short brown hair and big, white teeth that gave him an overbite as he smiled.

"What's your problem?" Pepper hissed. "You just hide around in random wand shops, waiting to scare the bejeezus out of people!"

"Actually, this is my grandpa's wand shop. And I wasn't hiding from you, I was hiding from my mom," he explained. Pepper's heart restarted and her breathing slowed to a more normal pace. "I'm Sacha Keith."

"Sacha? Isn't that a girl's name?" Pepper didn't say it rudely, just curiously. Sacha grinned.

"I get that a lot. Actually, my name is Alexandre. My parents named me after Pierre Elliot Trudeau's son," he explained patiently. "My dad is Canadian."

"I thought you had an accent," Pepper exclaimed. It was true, his words were affected in a way that wasn't traditionally British.

"I could say the same about you!" Sacha laughed. Now that he wasn't jumping out of dark corners and scaring her, Pepper found that he was actually quite likable.

"Why are you hiding from your mom?" Pepper asked, genuinely curious. Sacha rolled his eyes.

"She's fussing over my Hogwarts list. It's driving me insane! I swear I have everything, but-"

"You're going to Hogwarts! Me too!" Pepper exclaimed. Finally, someone her age that she could talk to. Sacha looked as excited as she was.

"That's great! Maybe we'll be sorted into the same house!" Pepper blinked, confused. Houses? Sacha noticed her confusion. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were a muggleborn. This all must seem so strange to you." He placed a hand on her shoulder sympathetically.

"I thought I was a muggleborn, but apparently, my mom was a witch. I never met her," Pepper explained in a rush. It was a relief to tell someone. Sacha looked sympathetic.

"That's rough. This all must seem so crazy and new to you, people throwing all these new ideas and new magical terms around." Pepper was nodding before he had even finished his sentence. Sacha was one of the nicest boys she had ever met. "Let me explain- Hogwarts has four houses, one for each of the original founders. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. At the start of every year, first years are sorted into their houses based on their talents and qualities by the Sorting Hat."

That made some sense to Pepper, although she didn't see how a hat could sort students. "I'm Pepper," she blurted out suddenly. "I just realized I never introduced myself."

Sacha grinned, and Pepper noticed how adorable his overbite really was. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Pepper." He reached for her hand and shook it. As they were shaking, a voice called out from the back of the shop.

"Alexandre!"

Sacha jumped back in a moment of panic. "Shoot, that's my mom!" He dove for the dark corner again, but it was too late. A tall and dark haired witch, dressed in fabulous magenta robes, stepped out from the back of the shop. Behind her, sitting in a muggle wheelchair, was a wizened old man, his white hair falling scraggly around his unshaven face.

"Alexandre, there you are! We must go to Flourish and Blott's again, I'm nearly certain we forgot a copy of 'A History of Magic'. Oh hello, my dear," she added when she saw Pepper. Pepper nodded politely. The witch took Sacha by the arm and pulled him out of the shop. "We'll be back in a few, Papa," the witch called over her shoulder at the old man. Sacha glanced at Pepper. The look in his eyes said _HELP ME!, _but Pepper was trying too hard to stifle a laugh as Sacha was pulled out into the street.

The door snapped shut, and Pepper was alone in the wand shop with the old man she took to be Mr. Ollivander. She turned to face him. He looked ancient, and he appeared to have grown into that wheelchair, like he would never get out of it, but his eyes were bright, a shining spot of gray on his otherwise ruined face. "Good evening, sir, I'm Pepper-"

"Philippa Prudence Pyramus," he exclaimed suddenly in a hoarse, quiet voice. "Oh, how you do look like your mother." Pepper paused in shock.

"Sir, you knew my mother?"

"Oh, of course," he wheezed. "She told me you would come, after she commissioned your wand. I remember every wand, Ms. Pyramus, every wand."

"She commissioned my wand Like, specially ordered?"

"Oh, yes," he grinned a toothless grin. "I told her, it simply isn't done. The wand must choose the wizard. But she was so insistent, and she explained that the feather had been a gift for your wand." As he spoke, he wheeled his chair towards the back of the shop. Pepper rocked on her heels, unsure of whether or not she should follow him or wait. Her decision was made for her when he reappeared, holding a small black box in his lap. He wheeled right up to her, and removed the lid from the box. The wand inside was beautifully crafted, long and straight, polished until it shone. The handle was inlaid with a reddish wood, or possibly a stone, like flames licking their way up the wood.

Pepper reached for the wand. It was almost as if it flew to her fingers. The air around her grew hot, and a warm breeze blew through the shop, rustling the papers and rattling the other boxes of wands on their shelves. Pepper stared in awe around her. Mr. Ollivander laughed and clapped delightedly.

"So she was right! This wand had chosen you," he smiled.

"What did my mother say, sir, when she commissioned this wand from you?" Pepper asked. The smile slid from Ollivanders face, and he stared at her with a look akin to horror.

"You will need this wand in the days to come, child. Dark days, dangerous days. She gave me the feather, the source of your power, she said. 'Make it powerful, make it strong' she asked. Alder wood, for endurance, for strength, for fiery passion," his eyes were distant, unseeing, lost in an old memory. "12 inches, alder wood, phoenix feather... the last feather. The last feather he would ever give." Ollivander blinked, and his eyes refocused. He stared at Pepper, in wonder, and admiration. "The One Who Burns as the Phoenix," he whispered, so quietly that Pepper could not be sure that that was what he had really said.

Pepper had more questions, but Ollivander wouldn't hear them. He simply bustled her out the door, refusing even payment for the wand. The door slammed shut behind Pepper as she fingered her new wand in her pocket. "Well, how did it go?" Professor Longbottom asked cheerily, his bright tone seeming out of place to Pepper after what she had just witnessed. She answered as honestly as she could.

"I don't know."


	6. Chapter Five: The Hogwarts Express

Days passed, and over time, Pepper grew more comfortable with the magical world. She did this mostly by observing. The Leaky Cauldron was always full of strange and interesting witches, wizards, and any manner of creatures. Pepper listened to wizards talking about anything from the price of potions ingredients (which were steeper than in previous years, or so she was told) to the escaped 'Death Eaters' who were still in hiding from the wizarding government. 'The Ministry', they called it.

Pepper found herself visiting the book store in Diagon Alley almost every day, searching for new books on the history of the magical community, and of Hogwarts itself. She found 'Hogwarts, A History: The Revised Edition' to be the most helpful. It chronicled everything about the school, from the Original founders in 990 AD, to the infamous Battle of Hogwarts that had taken place 19 years ago, when Harry Potter had defeated the Dark Lord, Voldemort.

She even found an ancient textbook, hidden away on a dusty shelf, which traced the line of the Pyramus family tree. The book described the most ancient house of Pyramus, the legends and stories of their magical prowess, and it traced her family line through the generations, until suddenly, it stopped. The eldest child in the line of Pyramus, the book said, was thought to have died in some illness that had taken many lives. People had given up hope that the Pyramus line would resurface. But it had, obviously, only under the radar, kept secret from the rest of the magical world.

Today was September 1rst, and Pepper was busy packing up her trunk for Hogwarts. She was dressed in jeans and her school sweater and tie, ready to pull her cloak on once the train arrived at Hogwarts. Professor Longbottom had explained the routine to her the night before.

"I'll help you get on to the platform, and see you off, but I'll need to apparate on to the grounds long before you arrive," he explained. "Professor Hagrid will meet the first years at the station. There's no way you can miss him, he's half-giant." Professor Longbottom smiled at her reassuringly. "You'll be sorted and taken to your dormitories by the Prefects. I will see you tomorrow, though, on your first day of classes."

Pepper stuffed the last of her books into her trunk and jumped on the lid to force it shut. She had stored everything in their, excluding some of her money and her book. She figured she would be sitting alone, so she might as well be entertained. It was a long ride from London to Scotland, even if you were going by magical train. Her wand was sticking out of her front pocket.

"Pepper, are you ready?" Professor Longbottom poked his head around the door. Pepper sat on her trunk as she did up the latch.

"As I'll ever be," she took a deep breath as she swung her legs off her trunk and stood. Professor Longbottom withdrew his and flicked it towards her luggage.

_"Locomotor Trunk_!_"__  
_  
The trunk levitated a few feet off the ground. Pepper grinned. Magic was undeniably awesome. She led the way down the stairs, followed by her trunk, followed by Professor Longbottom. In that fashion, they made their way down the stairs and out the back entrance, where a beat up old car was waiting. Her trunk went in the back. Pepper pleaded and begged until Professor Longbottom agreed to let her ride shotgun.

King's Cross station was bustling with activity, and Pepper had a hard time in avoiding collisions as she was shunted from side to side. Several times, her trolley nearly knocked old ladies off of their feet. She had apologized profusely for that. Professor Longbottom kept his hand on her shoulder, steering her towards platforms 9 and 10.

"So, where is this train, exactly?" Pepper asked, craning her neck to look at all the trains surrounding them. Not one of them looked particularly magical. Professor Longbottom chuckled.

"Through there," he said, pointing at the wall directly between platforms 9 and 10. Pepper raised an eyebrow, prompting the Professor's laughter. "Follow me," he instructed. He gave her a last pat on the shoulder, and walked directly towards the wall. As he neared it, he made no attempt to steer around or dodge the looming wall of bricks. Suddenly, he vanished. He had been there, and then it was almost as if he had been absorbed into the wall.

"I must be going crazy," Pepper muttered to herself. Not as quietly as she had thought, however, and several passersby gave her strange looks. Pepper drew in a deep breath, and took off at a brisk pace. She was tempted to close her eyes upon impact, but she didn't want to miss anything. There was a whooshing noise, and suddenly, King's Cross was gone. She was staring at a gleaming black and red train. The sign above her read 'The Hogwarts Express, Platform 9 3/4'.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Professor Longbottom spoke suddenly from beside her, echoing her thoughts. She nodded, awe-inspired. "I have to leave you now, but someone should be able to help you get your trunk on the train." Pepper turned to him. She hadn't realized until now how much she had relied on him through all of this. Now he was leaving, and she was scared. Without really thinking about it, she flung her arms around him. "Hey, it's okay. I'll see you at the feast tonight, okay?" Pepper nodded into his robes and pulled back. He smiled at her encouragingly, and with a little wave, disapparated.

Pepper was alone now, caught in a tide of witches and wizards, all waving goodbye to their children as they boarded the train. Pepper was overwhelmed with her loneliness. She had no one to say goodbye to. Her father didn't care if she never came home from magic school. Pepper wanted to get away from the throng as quickly as she could. She pushed her trolley towards the nearest open train door. She hauled her trunk off the trolley and started dragging it up the steps. It was heavier than she had anticipated. Maybe she shouldn't have packed all those books.

"Need a hand?"

Pepper whirled around to face the gentle, quiet voice that had surprised her. A boy, most definitely her age, was smiling at her kindly. Wordlessly, Pepper nodded. The boy smiled at reached for an end of her trunk. Together, they managed to hoist it up the stairs, into the nearest compartment, and onto the shelf above the windows.

"Thank you," she beamed at him. The boy shrugged, his bright green eyes gleaming. "My names Pepper."

"I'm Albus," he introduced himself, shaking her hand. Pepper heard someone calling his name, and Albus glanced over his shoulder. "I have to go. It was nice meeting you," he smiled, and left the compartment. Pepper sat down on the cushioned benches. Her eyes followed Albus as he stepped off the train and ran towards a group of people she assumed were his family. An older boy, his brother, pushed him sideways as he neared them. A pretty red-headed woman scolded him, his mother. A little girl with hair to match her mother's was swinging from the arm of a dark-haired man with glasses. Albus's father, Pepper assumed, and he looked a great deal like his son.

"Are you going to gawk out of the window all morning, or are you going to give me a hand?" a familiar voice asked in a disgruntled tone. Pepper turned. Sacha stood in the door to the compartment, his face flushed from the effort of dragging his trunk around. A large cage dangled from one arm. Pepper grinned and flung her arms around him. Sacha hugged her back, but his expression was shocked. "You are highly unpredictable, aren't you? The first time we meet, you scream at me. The second time, you hug me."

Pepper beamed. "I'm just so happy to finally see someone I know."

Together, the pair of them managed to force Sacha's trunk up beside Pepper's. He kept the cage on the seat beside him, and Pepper was able to observe his magnificent spotted owl. "His name's Kujo," Sacha explained, noticing her stare. "Like the goalie." Pepper blinked at him, confused. "Kurtis Joseph? He's a hockey player..." Pepper shook her head, and Sacha sighed.

A shrill whistle sounded, and Pepper felt the train come to life beneath her feet. The hum of its engines vibrated through the floor, and with a sudden lurch, they began moving. Pepper could see parents waving at their children, some dabbing their eyes with handkerchiefs. Younger siblings ran alongside the train, waving and crying and laughing at the same time. Then the train station disappeared from around them, and they were chugging off to Hogwarts.

"Is this seat taken?" a small voice asked. Pepper and Sacha turned to see a tiny, petite girl with distinctly Asian features, already dressed in her Hogwarts robes. They appeared to be several sizes too big for her, and they dragged unceremoniously along the floor.

"No, of course not. Help yourself," Sacha answered before Pepper could. He glanced at her, and she smiled approvingly. The little girl beamed at him, and slid through the door into their compartment. She too, had an owl, the smallest little barn owl that Pepper hand ever seen. It could easily have fit into her palm.

"Thank you so much! You're very kind," the little girl smiled widely. "I'm Grape. Like the fruit, but a person!" Pepper laughed.

"Nice to meet you, Grape. I'm Pepper. Like the seasoning. And this is Sacha-"

"Like the son of the famous Canadian," Sacha cut in eagerly. Grape's tiny brows furrowed in confusion. Sacha sighed and fell back into his seat. "No appreciation for Canadian culture," he muttered silently under her breath. Pepper gave Grape a look and rolled her eyes. Grape giggled into her hands.

"So, Grape, where are you from," Pepper asked, with genuine curiosity.

"I was brought up in a Muggle orphanage," Grape explained. "I didn't know anything about being a witch until a Hogwarts professor came to the orphanage a few weeks ago. He told me that my father had been a wizard, and he was going to take me away from the orphanage, to a special school where I could learn magic," Grape beamed. "And here I am!" She smiled a lot, Pepper observed, and seemed like an overall happy person. Pepper liked that. Pessimism annoyed her.

"I didn't know I was a witch either," Pepper admitted. "My father never told me." Grape's mouth hung open, aghast.

"That's so mean!" she exclaimed. "I think it's a wonderful thing! He shouldn't keep secrets." Grape pouted. Pepper laughed. Yep, Grape was definitely a friend she wanted to have.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" A stout, old witch asked from the hall outside their compartment. Pepper jumped to her feet. Professor Longbottom had told her about the trolley, and she had had her first taste of magical sweets in Diagon Alley.

"One of everything," Pepper requested, licking her lips with anticipation. She glanced back at Sacha and Grape, who were watching her with their eyes wide. "Do you guys want anything?" she joked. The Candy lady handed Pepper a mountain of sweets, which she placed on the seat next to where she had been sitting. Pepper passed her a handful of gold coins, as discreetly as she could. Pepper had never been comfortable with being wealthy in the Muggle world, and she felt just as self-conscious with her wizarding gold.

"Holy crow, someone has a sweet tooth!" Sacha exclaimed when she sat back down. Pepper shrugged. She'd always been able to eat as much junk food as she wanted, and she had never even had a cavity. Dentists praised her for her dental hygiene.

"Want some?" Pepper offered to Sacha, but her eyes were on Grape. The little girl's eyes were huge and round on her face as she took in the vast supply of candy. Pepper took it that she wasn't really exposed to many sweets in the Muggle orphanage. "Help yourself." Pepper said, gesturing towards Grape. Grape looked at Pepper with admiration before she dove, quite literally, into the mountain.

For herself, Pepper took a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. Sacha made a face. "Ugh. Have you ever tried those before? Some of the flavours they come up with are just disturbing!" Pepper nodded, smiling as she popped the first bean into her mouth. Professor Longbottom had bought her some on their first trip into Diagon Alley, and she found she rather enjoyed them. Even when the flavours got weird, she liked the surprise. She chewed for a moment, and then puckered her face.

"What did you get?" Sacha asked, both curious and disgusted.

"Sour lemon," she responded, puckering her lips at the bitter flavour. "Want one?" Sacha reached hesitantly for the box, and plucked out a dark gray bean. He closed his eyes as he put it in his mouth. He chewed for minute, and then his face fell. He looked utterly depressed and broken.

"What flavour did you get?" Pepper asked, suddenly concerned. Sacha heaved a great sigh before answering.

"Defeat."

Pepper laughed. Now the expression made sense. "Lucky! That's one of the new ones, I've been wanting to try that!" she said, digging into the box again. Sacha swallowed, and rolled his eyes, but he was laughing.

The train ride passed quickly, as the trio laughed and ate their sweets, telling stories and swapping jokes. Pepper didn't even notice the light growing dimmer until she felt the train slowing to a halt. "I think we're here," she burst randomly, cutting into Sacha's joke about a Priest, a Rabbi, and an Irishman in a bar. Sacha and Grape clambered over to the window to look out.

In the darkness, far off in the distance, a huge castle loomed. Pepper could only make out its shape from the thousands of flickering lights that filled each window, illuminating the outline of the enormous building. It rose on a hill, above the dark and murky black waters of a lake. Pepper shivered with anticipation. She had finally made it to Hogwarts. She was here.


	7. Chapter Six: Sorting

"Firs' years! Firs' years, over here!" From outside the train, Pepper heard the gruff, loud call of the man she assumed was Hagrid. She peeked out the window to her left and saw him, over 8 feet tall, towering above all the students, with an enormous lantern swinging from his hand. If he was a half-giant, Pepper definitely didn't want to see what an all-giant looked like.

"Shoot!" Sacha cursed, and muttered some other profanity beneath his breath. "We haven't got our robes on..." his voice trailed off as Pepper reached into her backpack and pulled out her cloak. She slid her arms into the sleeves and fastened it up. "That's smart," Sacha commented approvingly. "I probably should have done that."

"Well, at least we know Ravenclaw is out as a house for you," Pepper teased. Sacha grunted as she clambered up onto the seat to reach into his trunk. His hand searched wildly for his robes. Grape and Pepper watched smugly from the floor. 5 minutes and several muttered curses later, Sacha was in his robes and the trio was shutting the door to their compartment. Sacha had advised them to leave their trunks inside; someone would fetch them and take them up to the castle.

Outside, the wind was stronger than Pepper had anticipated. She was grateful she had thought to wear a sweater, as gusts blew her hair around and out of its loose bun. Grape shivered beside her, and Pepper was worried that her tiny body might be blown away if a strong enough breeze blew.

"Firs' years, follow me!" Hagrid's cry could easily be heard above the bustling students and whistling wind. Pepper held fast to Grape's hand as she followed Sacha towards Hagrid's voice, pushing past the crowd of returning students. A cluster of other first years already pressed around the giant man, and Pepper could just see Albus, directly beside Hagrid, beaming up at him. "Right, you lot. This way t' th' boats!"

Hagrid led them down, away from the other students, in the direction of the lake. Pepper walked as close behind Sacha as she could without stepping on his heels. The company lurched to a halt at the shores of the lake, where Pepper could see boats lined across the shore as far as she could see in the darkness of either direction. "Four t' a boat. C'mon, everyone, don' be shy!"

Pepper rushed to find an empty boat, and she, Sacha, and Grape all climbed in together. After several minutes, and much pushing and shoving on the shore, they were joined by a girl with pale, blonde hair and icy blue eyes. Sacha looked a bit uncomfortable, surrounded as he was by girls. Pepper laughed and nudged him playfully. His eyes took on a mischievous look, and he leaned back to gain some momentum before he shoved her. Before he could, however, the boats lurched forwards, and he wind milled his arms to keep his balance.

The boats traveled smoothly, cutting through the dark water without the use of paddles or any motor that Pepper could see. Magic. Pepper twisted her head around to look at the castle, which loomed closer and closer. Up close now, she could see the size of the place was immense. Enormous. It was the kind of place that one could easily get lost in. There was a scraping noise as the boats docked at the base of the hill. Pepper had to crane her neck upwards to see the tallest towers of Hogwarts.

Hagrid led the first years up a steep set of steps, winding their way up the hill to the front doors of the castle. Those doors were enormous, several times taller and wider than even Hagrid. Those doors swung open, and Pepper found herself standing in an enormous, stone hall. The ceiling stretched above her as far as she could see, and the hall extended in both directions, ending in staircases. Directly in front of her, another set of double doors led to what Pepper assumed was the dining hall. She could hear the chatter of voices from the other side of the door, and she knew that the other students were already in there, waiting.

In front of the door, a tall man stood, wearing long robes of a deep, pearly gray. It was several moments before Pepper recognized Professor Longbottom. She wanted to jump up and down, or wave at him, but she felt that would be immature. So she held still and waited with the others.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I've got them from here." Professor Longbottom said with a smile and a nod for Hagrid. He turned back to the throng of first years, huddled close together, and gave them a reassuring smile. "Welcome to Hogwarts. The start of term banquet will begin shortly, but before you are seated, you'll be sorted into your houses. This Sorting Ceremony is very important because, while you are students at Hogwarts, your House will be like your family. There are four Houses; Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own history and qualities that are prized. While you're here, triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule-breaking will lose House points. At the end of the school year, the House with the most points will win the House cup, a great honor." Professor Longbottom smiled at them all encouragingly. "I'm sure you will all be a great asset to your Houses," he said, his gaze sweeping them. It settled on Pepper, and he gave her a quick wink.

The door behind him creaked open slightly, and Pepper heard the din in the Great Hall silence almost immediately. Professor Longbottom waved towards the doors with his hand "We're ready for you now," he stated simply, and the doors swung open completely.

Grape clung to Pepper's hand as they walked, side by side, into the Great Hall. Four tables, two on either side of Pepper, stretched the length of the Hall. Opposite Pepper, on a platform slightly raised above the floor, another table stood, lined with adults, the teachers. At the centre of this head table, one ornately carved chair rose above the others, and at this chair sat an older woman with a tight, lined face. She was wearing the most elaborate Scottish tam on her head that Pepper had ever seen.

In front of the table, still raised above the students, was an old stool. Atop it, sat an ancient, leathery old hat. It was patched and worn, with a rip near its brim that looked like a mouth, smiling eerily at them. Professor Longbottom stood beside this stool, and with a flick of his wand, conjured up a scroll of parchment in his hands. Everyone in the room looked towards him in anticipation. Not at him, Pepper realized, but at the hat. The hat twitched, and the rip opened as the hat began to sing.

_As a hat of old and ancient times,__  
__I'm sure I'm quite a sight,__  
__Despite all of my rips and tears,__  
__There's no hat quite so bright,__  
__Nothing hidden in your head,__  
__That I will never know,__  
__Try me on and I will tell you, __  
__Where you ought to go, _

_Perhaps you'll go to Gryffindor,__  
__Where dwell the brave and daring;__  
__Or make your way in Hufflepuff,__  
__Hardworking, just and caring;__  
__You might be fit for Slytherin,__  
__Where cunning is admired;__  
__Or find your home in Ravenclaw,__  
__Where wisdom is inspired._

_Despite all of our differences,__  
__Within these Houses four,__  
__Unity within the school,__  
__Is as needed as before,__  
__And though I'm just a sorting hat,__  
__I have knowledge deep within,__  
__But you've all listened enough tonight,__  
__Let the sorting now begin!_

On the last note, the entire hall of students burst into loud applause. Professor Longbottom cleared his throat, and the hall fell silent once more. "When I call your name," Professor Longbottom called out in a loud, clear voice, "you will come up here. I will place the Sorting Hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your houses." Pepper glanced around frantically. They were going to be sorted here, in front of everyone? "Anderson, Brian!"

A lanky boy with scraggly blonde hair stumbled his way up the steps and onto the stool. He shivered as Professor Longbottom placed the hat on his head. The hall was silent for a moment, and then the rip near the hat's brim opened again as it shouted "HUFFLEPUFF!" for everyone to hear. There was a polite smattering of applause. It was loudest at the Hufflepuff table, where the boy collapsed into his seat as the other students congratulated him.

Professor Longbottom called the students by name alphabetically. "Evine, Grapelle!" He called. Grape's hand twitched in Pepper's, and she gave hers a reassuring squeeze. Grape stood frozen for a moment, but Sacha gave her a small prod in the back. Grape clambered up onto the stool, which was made difficult as she was shaking uncontrollably. The hat touched her head. "RAVENCLAW!" it shouted. Pepper clapped and cheered loudly. Some of the Professors at the head table gave her strange looks, but she caught the eye of the witch in the Head chair. The Headmistress gave her and approving nod and a slight smile.

"Keith, Alexandre!" Sacha rested a hand on Pepper's shoulder for a brief moment before walking confidently up the steps towards the stool. He sat, and raised his chin proudly to stare around at everyone in the room. The hat sat on his head for a while, pondering. "HUFFLEPUFF!" it decided after some deliberation. Sacha gave Pepper a thumbs up before he went to join the Hufflepuff table.

The sortings blurred together, and the crowd around Pepper began to dwindle. "Lee, Cameron!" was quick to join Sacha at the Hufflepuff table. "Malfoy, Scorpius!", a thin boy with blonde hair, barely had been touched with the Sorting Hat before it shouted 'SLYTHERIN!'. "McNair, Mikaela!", the girl whom had ridden over in the boat with Pepper, Sacha, and Grape was named Slytherin soon after.

"Potter, Albus!" The boy from the train stepped forward. Pepper's eyebrows shot up with interest. She knew that his first name was Albus, but the surname Potter? As in Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived? His son? Pepper thought back to the train station, and the middle aged man she had seen, with his dark hair and glasses. It definitely could have been Harry Potter.

Albus was sitting on the stool now, the hat upon his head. His eyes were squinted shut, intensely concentrating, and his lips moved silently. The hat made a small noise, almost like it was stifling a laugh. Albus was gripping the stool so hard that his fingers were turning white. The Hall was silent. Then - "GRYFFINDOR!" the hat screamed. Loud cheers burst from the Gryffindor table, and the boy that Pepper had taken to be Albus's older brother took his brother by the hand and hauled him into a seat near him.

The sorting continued, and the number of remaining first years dwindled into the single digits. Soon, the only people left were Pepper and another girl, one with bright red hair and freckles. "Weasley, Rose!" The girl's name was called, and she was placed promptly into Gryffindor. Finally, it was Pepper's turn. "Zaniel, Philippa!"

Pepper lifted her head confidently and took long strides towards the stool. She was nervous, terrified, but she refused to let it show. She sat herself down on the stool, and she caught Professor Longbottom's eye before the hat slipped down over hers. He smiled at her, and then everything was covered by the hat.

"Well, what have we here?" Pepper jumped slightly as a small voice hissed in her ear. "The last of the Pyramus's, such a talented family. And you will be a talented witch, most definitely. Such powers, the likes of which I've never seen." Pepper shivered slightly. She felt so exposed, sitting there, in front of everyone, having her soul laid open by an old hat. "With your family name, comes such a thirst to prove yourself. Intelligence... Bravery to rival even your mother's... Where to put you?"

Pepper's thoughts flashed to the boy from the train. Albus Potter. "You want me to sort you based on a crush?" the hat questioned her. Pepper shook her head vigorously. She hadn't said that. "Oh, but you did, my dear... Just the same... A good fit, I should think... I suppose your right. GRYFFINDOR!"

The hat shouted the last word for the whole hall to hear, and Pepper heard cheering and stomping of feet from the Gryffindor table. Professor Longbottom pulled the hat off her head. "Well done," he whispered to her in an undertone. She flashed him a quick grin before skipping over to her new House table. She took a seat right beside Albus.

"Hi," she beamed at him. "Remember me?"

Albus smiled. "Congratulations, Pepper. This is Rose, my cousin," he said, indicating the red-headed girl who had been sorted just before Pepper. Pepper was about to introduce herself formally when the Headmistress rose and raised her arms for silence.

"Welcome, all of you, to another year at Hogwarts," she said, smiling at them all. "I trust you will all have an excellent school year. There's a time for speeches, but this isn't it. So for now, Dig in!" The school burst into applause as she sat down. Pepper raised an eyebrow. Dig in to what?

"Chicken, Pepper?" Albus asked. Pepper turned, and to her amazement, the entire table had been filled with platters and trays of food. Foods Pepper had seen before, and many she hadn't. She piled her plate with everything nearest to her and dug in. Beside her, Albus and Rose did the same.

For the next hour or so, the Hall was filled with the sounds of laughter and eating. After the main course had vanished from everyone's plates, desserts materialized on all the tables. Pepper felt too full to eat any more, but she grabbed a bow of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans anyways. She loved them. Throughout the meal, Pepper asked Albus all sort of questions about himself and his family. He wasn't one to hold back, she realized, and he told her all about his father. She was right, he was son to Harry Potter, the famous Auror and the Chosen One. Pepper felt that the family name 'Potter' would be a lot to live up to. Then she remembered her own family name, and she sighed. It seemed she and Albus both had a name overshadowing them.

When the feast was over, the Headmistress stood and gave them all a few parting words, about rules and so forth. Pepper dozed through it. She had never been much of one for rules. Stay out of the Forbidden Forest... No magic in the halls... Hogwarts rules sounded almost similar to the rules at her old private school. Albeit slightly more magical.

The Gryffindor prefects led them up a set of staircases. Had Pepper been fully awake, she might have noticed that the staircases were moving around them, all on their own. Or that the pictures on the walls smiled and whispered as the first years walked past. The prefects led them high up into Gryffindor tower. When they had reached the top landing, they stopped in front of a very large painting of a very fat woman.

"Swish and Flicker," the prefect spoke confidently. The painting swung open, revealing a hole in the wall, big enough for several people, or one very_, very_large person, to fit through. The first years clambered through the portrait hole, into a cozy common room, hung with scarlet and gold, and lit by a blazing fire in the hearth. The whole effect was so warm and comforting that Pepper just wanted to curl up on one of the beautiful scarlet sofas and sleep.

The prefect directed the boys towards a staircase on the left, and the girls towards the right. Pepper climbed up to the top level with all the other first year girls, Rose included. All of their trunks and belongings had been brought up, and placed by one of several four-poster beds. Pepper's bed was on the farthest wall, right next to a window overlooking the lake and the Forbidden Forest beyond. The other girls all jumped around, asking to switch beds and calling dibs. Pepper ignored this. Today had been all too amazing and tiring. She didn't bother to change into pajamas, and she was asleep before her head had even hit the pillow.


	8. Chapter Seven: Lessons

Pepper woke up with the sun. It shone through her bed curtains, and fell, a red, muted light, on her face. Pepper groaned loudly with exhaustion and rolled away from the window, but it was too late. She was already awake, so she might as well get out of bed. The other girls were all still sleeping. One of them was an incredibly loud snore-er, and Pepper wondered how any of them had managed to sleep through the racket.

Pepper's alarm clock wouldn't work at Hogwarts - no electricity, as she had realized too late to avoid packing it - so she hazarded a guess at the time. 6 o'clock, 6: 30? Early, but presumably not too early to go get breakfast. Pepper changed into her school skirt and a white blouse. Several Gryffindor ties had been laid out mysteriously at the foot of the bed. Thankfully, the knot was already tied, so Pepper just had to tighten it around her neck. She wore her cloak over her shoulders. It wasn't necessary, but Pepper felt safer with it wrapped around her.

Pepper managed to find her way down to the Great Hall again, though twice she had to wait for the staircases. Now that she was fully awake, she marveled at them moving on their own. She also said 'Good morning' to each painting as she passed it. "What a polite girl," she heard one painted man whisper to the painting next door.

The Great Hall was mostly empty. There were a few teachers sitting at the high table, and they looked mildly surprised to see a student awake so early. Pepper beamed at them and waved, which a few teachers returned half heartedly. Pepper skipped over to the Gryffindor table; to the one place setting that had food laid in front of it. She helped herself to some eggs and sausage, and then searched around for the hot sauce.

"Bit of an early start, now, isn't it?" Pepper turned to see Professor Longbottom standing behind her. His robes were a deep bottle green today, almost black. His eyes were amused, but they widened with shock as he watched her dump nearly half the bottle of hot sauce onto her eggs. "That's ridiculous! You're going to die from a heart attack!"

Pepper laughed. Spicy food didn't bother her. Nothing hot ever really did. "Sun woke me up," she explained as she shoveled a forkful of eggs into her mouth. Professor Longbottom gaped as she swallowed without flinching. "I figured it wasn't too early - when do classes start anyways?"

Professor Longbottom handed her a sheet of parchment- her timetable. "First year Gryffindors have Double Transfiguration with the Hufflepuff's this morning at 9 o'clock," he said, while she read the same on her timetable. "I'll have you right before lunch, a double period with Slytherin." Pepper smiled, but it was weak. She had only just realized how nervous she was. Professor Longbottom gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulders. "You'll do great," he said. He walked to the head table, and took his seat near the Headmistress.

Pepper dug into her eggs again. The Hall began to fill with students, yawning, some still wearing their pajamas. As they sat down, other heads of Houses passed them their own timetables. Pepper felt a shudder pass through the bench as Albus sat down beside her. "Good morning," she chirped at him.

"How are you so cheerful so early?" he asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Pepper shrugged.

"I dunno. Hot sauce?" she asked. Albus shook his head at her in amazement. "We have Transfiguration first. Professor O'Maley. Do you know what she's like?" Albus shook his head.

"I guess we'll soon find out," he said, reaching for the toast. Suddenly, his head was bent forward as someone forcibly ruffled his head.

"Morning, bedhead!" Pepper turned. It was James, Albus's older brother. Albus had introduced her at the feast last night, but James had somewhat ignored him. "Hello to you too, beautiful," he said appreciatively to Pepper. She rolled her eyes. James was two years their senior, and was easily the most popular 3rd year, if not the most popular boy, in the school. James laughed and moved along the table to a big group of his friends.

"He's so annoying," Albus muttered to Pepper under breath.

"I think you're lucky, having siblings. Being an only child can get pretty lonely," Pepper admitted. Of course, it was lonelier when you had an absentee mother and a father who didn't really give a damn, but she didn't want to split hairs. Rose sat down beside them, and Albus turned to ask her how her night had been.

Pepper waited impatiently for them to finish breakfast. As soon as they were done, she ushered them out of the Great Hall and in the general direction of the Transfiguration corridor. Luckily, they had an hour to kill before they needed to be at class, because they took two wrong turns, and even ended up in the girl's bathroom once. A wailing, moaning ghost had screamed at them for interrupting her wallowing. Pepper had apologized profusely before slamming the door on her ghost face.

There were only a few other Gryffindor and Hufflepuff first years waiting in front of the classroom doors when they arrived. Professor O'Maley opened the doors early, and the students rushed in to find their seats. Albus waved for Pepper to join him, but she shook her head. "You sit with Rose," she instructed. "There's someone I want to talk to." Albus shrugged, but did as she asked. Pepper took a seat by herself towards the front of the room. Another wave of Hufflepuffs entered the classroom. "Sacha, over here!"

Sacha searched for her voice and beamed when his eyes found her. He walked over to her with his books and set them on the desk next to hers. Trailing in his wake, another Hufflepuff first year set his books down at their shared bench. "Pepper, this is Cameron. Cam, meet Pepper," Sacha introduced them proudly. Cameron smiled and took her hand.

"Nice meeting you. Sacha never shuts up talking about you," Cameron laughed.

"Cam is in my dorm," Sacha explained. "He like hockey, too, even if it is only EIHA."

"Quiet, now, class!" Professor O'Maley commanded. Pepper rushed to her seat. Most of the class was spent taking notes. Professor O'Maley was a large woman with a commanding presence. Once one got past her enormous size and booming voice, however, she was actually a very kind and understanding teacher. She made jokes throughout the class, and awarded points generously. Pepper earned 20 house points for knowing the definition of Transfiguration.

The double period went by faster than Pepper had anticipated, and soon the bell rang, signifying the end of class. Pepper gave Sacha a hug as she gathered up her books, and, as an impulse, threw her arms around Cameron as well. The two boys had left the classroom whooping and teasing and shoving each other. Pepper giggled. Albus approached her and seized her arm. "We'll be late for Herbology," he warned.

Professor Longbottom welcomed them graciously into Greenhouse 2. He gave Pepper a wink as she walked in with Albus. "Alright, class! Grab a pot and space yourselves out! 3 to a pot!" Albus, Rose and Pepper all crowded around the same wrinkled purple plant. "Today, we're pruning Shrivelfigs," Professor Long bottom explained. "Now, the first thing you need to do-"

Albus, Rose and Pepper all worked their shears on the same Shrivelfig, pruning away the dead branches. Professor Longbottom circled the Greenhouse, giving instructions and advice. He talked about Shrivelfigs and their juices, which was the primary ingredient in Shrinking Solution, a potion that the third years were making soon. When class ended, the other Gryffindors and Slytherin's raced out the door, ready to sit down for lunch. Pepper took her time, wanting a moment with the Professor alone. Albus shook Professor Longbottom's hand on the way out, and said that his father wanted to hear from him soon.

"Pepper, how's your first day going so far?" Professor Longbottom asked concernedly. Pepper smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "I see you and Albus have made friends. That's good. Harry and I were always close during our Hogwarts years."

"It's so overwhelming," Pepper admitted to him. "I feel like I have this ancient family name to live up to, and yet I'm trying to swim upstream." Professor Longbottom nodded with understanding.

"It's scary now. But things will get better. You'll get used to it," he reassured her. Pepper nodded at the ground. Professor Longbottom knelt on the ground in front of her and stared her head on. "You're doing great," he said, smiling at her. Pepper felt her lips tug into a smile.

"Pepper, let's go!" Albus called at her from just outside the greenhouse. Professor Longbottom gave her a little nudge towards the door. As Pepper raced towards the castle, sneaking up on Albus and passing him easily, she realized that Professor Longbottom was right. This place would grow on her. She could do it.

* * *

_**A/N** - Thanks go out to **I'm-a-Muppet-of-a-girl** and **angelsea **for commenting! I love hearing what you people think of my stories :) You're all amazing!_


	9. Chapter Eight: Learning To Fly

As the days passed, Pepper found herself settling into a routine. Every morning she would wake up early. Some days she would go straight to the Great Hall for breakfast, or else sometimes she would familiarize herself with the school and its grounds. Pepper discovered all kinds of hidden tricks and tunnels in the castle; doors that weren't really doors, steps that you would sink through, walls that were really doors in disguise. Pepper had walked every inch of the grounds, all the way down to the Forbidden Forest.

Every morning, she would sit with Albus and Rose at breakfast. She liked Al, he was clever and funny and he wasn't afraid to speak his mind. Rose was much quieter, but she was kind. Pepper was proud to call them friends. She made a point to talk to Sacha every day, and that usually meant spending time with Cameron too. The pair of boys were inseparable.

During breakfast each morning, the owls would swoop in with mail for the students. Albus received a letter from home almost every day, and his Grandmamma Weasley sent him cookies and fudge and treacle tart. Rose always got a similar package. Pepper had received one letter in her first few weeks, a short, clipped letter from her father.

_ Philippa,_  
_ I hope this letter finds you well. I am sure that you are having a good time at that school. Business is going well for me.  
Perhaps we will be able to summer in the Caribbean when you return home._  
_ Sincerely,_  
_ Your father_

She had tossed the letter the first opportunity she had. She did know what her father was playing at; sending her letters when it was clear he didn't care about her well-being. She wondered what lie he had cooked up for his lawyer friends at home. Probably that he had sent her away to some boarding school for troubled girls. They would believe that, Pepper had always been a 'rebellious' child.

Today, there was a small break in routine, however, and Pepper was both nervous and excited. Today they would have their first flying lesson with the Ravenclaws. A few of the students from wizarding families had already flown; they weren't the least bit concerned. Albus bragged that he had been riding a broomstick since he was a toddler. Pepper didn't doubt it. After all, his mother had been Captain of a famous Quidditch team, and his father could have played for England if he hadn't pursued a career as an Auror.

Pepper had stayed up late into the night, reading 'Quidditch Through the Ages' and any other books involving broomsticks and flying that she could find. Whenever she started panicking, she repeated the chapters she had read silently to herself. Albus led the way as they traveled across the grounds towards the Quidditch pitch. An enormous oval, lined with benches, and three golden hoops at either end. As they stepped out onto the field, Pepper could see brooms already lined up along the ground, two rows facing each other. The flying instructor, Madam Hooch, was waiting for them.

"Hurry along, now. Everybody pick a broom and stand beside it!" Pepper took the broom to Albus's left. As the Ravenclaws walked out onto the pitch, Pepper caught a glimpse of Grape's tiny form shuffling at the pack of the group.

"Grape! Over here!" she called. Grape lifted her head and beamed at her. She ran up past the other Ravenclaws and flung her arms around Pepper, nearly knocking her over.

"I missed you so much, Pepper!" Grape squealed. Pepper shifted her gaze guiltily. She hadn't seen much of Grape; they had classes together, but they had always been assigned seats apart from each other. Grape didn't seem to blame her, though, as she stepped back next to her chosen broom, still smiling.

"Welcome to your first flying lesson!" Madam Hooch called, and all the first years shut their mouths. "We're going to start simply today, and work our way towards actual flight. For starters, everyone step up to your broom, if you haven't already." There was some shuffling of feet as a few stragglers to the group stood next to their broom. "Now, place your right hand over your broom, and say 'Up!'"

There were shouts and whispers as students commanded their brooms. Some of them, like Albus's, flew right into their hand. Other required more persuasion. Rose's broom was rolling away from her along the ground. Pepper took a deep breath. "Up!" she said firmly. To her surprise, her broom flew up and she caught it easily.

"Excellent. Now, everyone, mount your brooms!" Madam Hooch instructed. Pepper threw one legs over the broom and straddled it. She shifted her hands along the handle. Madam Hooch moved up and down the rows, correcting stance and grip.

"Very good, Ms. Zaniel," she nodded approvingly as she passed. Albus winked at her.

"You sure this is your first time?" he asked. His stance and grip matched hers exactly. Pepper shrugged, grinning from ear to ear. Beside her, Grape was having some trouble getting a leg up over her broom. It was way too big for her, and she was barely able to hold it with one hand while keeping her balance. Pepper set down her broom to give Grape a hand with hers.

When she had mounted again. Madam Hooch instructed," Now, when I blow my whistle, I want all of you to kick off from the ground, hard. Hover there for a moment, then lean forward and touch back down. Understood?" she asked. The class nodded and murmured affirmations. Madam Hooch raised her whistle to her mouth and blew.

Pepper barely put any force into her jump, and yet her broom seemed to rise of its own accord. Pepper almost felt it humming to life beneath her, and the overwhelming urge to fly came over her. She wanted to take off, over the lake, over the forest, riding deep into the mountains. She felt as if she could fly forever and never want to stop. Her thoughts were interrupted as Madam Hooch blew her whistle again. With a sigh, Pepper leaned forward against her broom, and felt herself drift slowly back to the ground.

"Excellent. Now, would anyone like to give flying a go?" Madam Hooch asked. Albus and a Ravenclaw boy raised their hand. Madam Hooch ignored them, however, her eyes on Pepper. Pepper gulped and raised her hand shakily. "Excellent. Ms. Zaniel, if you please," she said with a glint of something Pepper couldn't quite identify. Pepper nodded and resumed her stance. Again, she pushed off from the ground, and then she was flying.

Pepper could feel the wind blowing through her hair, whipping curls into her face. She laughed, exhilarated, as she rose higher and higher, above the Quidditch pitch, above the golden hoops. Instinctively, Pepper knew what to do. She lowered herself close to the broom handle, and shot off like a jet. She looped around the pitch, once, twice... weaving in and out of the hoops, then soaring high, almost vertically, so the wind blew her hair down her back. All too soon, she heard Madam Hooch's whistle, and she reluctantly sank slowly to the ground.

Her feet touched down, and all the assembled Gryffindors and Ravenclaws burst into applause. Grape had tears in her eyes from sheer delight. Albus gave her a clap on the back and said something the Pepper couldn't quite make out over the noise. "Class dismissed," Madam Hooch called over the din. "We'll continue this next week," she said when she was met with disappointed groans from the first years. Sullenly, they all set their brooms down on the ground and hoisted their bags onto their shoulders. Pepper started to walk back to the castle with the others, but Madam Hooch took her by the shoulder.

"A word, if you please, Ms. Zaniel." Pepper nodded, and turned to Albus, Grape and Rose, who were waiting patiently for her.

"You guys head on up. Save me a seat at the dinner table," she requested. Albus nodded, and took Rose's hand as they walked back up to the castle. Pepper followed them with her eyes for a moment, watching as Grape introduced herself excitedly. The Pepper turned back to Madam Hooch. "Yes, ma'am?"

"You fly very well," Madam Hooch commended her. "If I were you, I would definitely consider trying out for the Gryffindor team." Pepper beamed at her compliment. Madam Hooch smiled and ushered her back towards the castle. As Pepper walked away, Madam Hooch cried out," You fly just like your mother!" Pepper stopped in her tracks and turned back to Madam Hooch. Her mother? Madam Hooch smiled at her, a little sadly, and turned to gather up the broomsticks.

In the Great Hall, Albus and Rose had saved her a seat right next to the hot sauce. Around her, all the other first years laughed and gossiped about their lessons that day, particularly their first flying lesson. Pepper didn't join them, wrapped as she was in her own thoughts. Madam Hooch had known her mother. Her mother had been a fly-er too, possibly a Quidditch player. Pepper smiled to herself. For the first time, the idea of her mother seemed real to her.

* * *

**A/N - **_Thanks to **E.M Blaine **for commenting. You know, I never thought of Grape's and Pepper's names that way, but when you put them together, they do sound like an awesome band :) I'll definitely consider that for a band name if I ever go Hollywood ;)_


	10. Chapter Nine: Brave At Heart

The Entrance Hall was abuzz with activity when Pepper skipped down the stairs on Saturday morning. Or rather, Saturday afternoon. Pepper had overslept a bit, and she had woken to find the dorm room empty. She had dressed hurriedly in her Muggle clothes before running out of the room. Pepper figured that if she was quick enough, she might be able to grab a spot of lunch before she located Albus. The crowd between her and the Great Hall was making it difficult, however.

A huge crowd had gathered around one small corner of the hall. Students were pushing and shoving for a better view. Some were laughing, others looked angry, and some simply walked away in disgust. Pepper pushed her way past the kids in the back, but she still wasn't able to see over everyone's heads. She wormed her way around a tall Gryffindor boy she recognized from the common room and she was able to see what had everyone's attention.

A group of Slytherin boys, at least in their 6th year, stood with sneering expressions. One of them, a tall boy with greasy blonde hair, was holding aloft a small bag, extending his arm as high as it would reach. In front of him, a tiny first year jumped to reach her bag. It was Grape. There were tears pouring from her eyes and she was breathing in short, choked gasps as she leaped repeatedly for the bag. She was just out of range with every jump.

"Jump, mudblood," the Slytherin holding her bag, the leader, sneered. His buddies laughed behind him, cackling and gwuaffing. The other students around Pepper, Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws and Slytherins alike, all stood, mortified at the scene before them. Not one of them moved.

"Cut it out!" Pepper shouted, bursting out of the crowd to stand defiantly in front of the Slytherin boy. She grabbed Grape by the shoulder and held her close to her. Grape was shivering, and she clutched Pepper's shirt as she cried. The boys laughed at the challenge.

"Look at this! We've got ourselves a brave little first year. Probably another piece of muggle filth," he jeered. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

Staring up at this bully, Pepper was filled with contempt for him and all of his simpleton friends. "It's Pepper _Pyramus,_" she spat, putting the full weight of her speech behind the last name. She was right, he recognized the surname. A dim flicker of recognition, followed by fear, sparked in his eyes. Pepper heard whispers in the assembled crowd behind her.

"You're lying," the boy scoffed defiantly, but he didn't sound too sure. "The original family died out centuries ago."

Pepper smiled. "Did they? Give the bag back to my friend, and leave her the hell alone," Pepper threatened. She continued smiling despite her darkened tone, which she reckoned he would find unnerving. She saw his resolve falter for a minute, but there, in front of all his friends, he would have looked weak if he gave into her demands.

"I don't think so," he snarled.

"You're a butt trumpet." Pepper said calmly.

"A what!"

"A butt trumpet," she said cheerfully. "And a simpleton, and a gorilla, and a Neanderthal..."

"Say that to my face!" he spat, stepping forward menacingly. Pepper didn't flinch.

"Teddy, back off," a girl's voice spoke from behind Pepper. A short blonde girl with startlingly blue eyes stepped out of the crowd. Teddy - Pepper snickered at the name - looked somewhat startled to see her. "Go play outside or something, okay," the girl continued condescendingly. The boy looked almost ashamed of himself.

"Whatever," he grunted, tossing Grape's bag at her heavily. She caught it with both hands and held it close to her chest. The boy turned away, but looked back over his shoulder at Pepper, a snarl on his face. "You'd better watch yourself," he warned, before stalking off with his friends in the direction of the Black Lake.

"Boys will be boys," the blonde girl tutted. She reached out a hand for Pepper's. "I'm Mikaela. And the buffoon who tried to punch you was my brother, Theodore," she explained. Pepper remembered her, the girl whom she had ridden across the Lake with, the first night at Hogwarts. She was wearing robes inscribed with the Slytherin crest - a snake on a green and silver background.

"I'm Pepper, and this is Grape," Pepper introduced herself. Grape gave a little wave. "Thanks for lecturing your brother for us.

"No biggie. He's a brute. I can't stand him, "Mikaela smiled."Short of me telling Mom on him, he hates being told off by me in public. You'd better watch yourself though. He wouldn't hesitate to beat you to a pulp." she warned.

"I think I can handle it," Pepper grinned mischievously.

"I don't doubt it. I got your back," Mikaela waved goodbye and trotted off after her brother. Pepper took Grape by the hand and led her into the Great Hall. Thankfully, the remains of lunch were still laid out on the tables. Pepper ignored the looks from her fellow Gryffindors as she and Grape sat down at her House table.

"Are you okay?" Pepper asked. Grape nodded. She was still a little shaky, but her breathing was normal again. "I'll protect you, I promise." Grape smiled quietly. Pepper could tell that she was still a little unnerved from the whole experience. She would recover from it, given time. And Pepper would sleep with one eye open from now on. Teddy may be a simpleton, but she didn't doubt him when he warned her to watch her back.

"You were really brave, Pepper," Grape whispered quietly as she tucked into a handful of potato chips. Pepper smiled and hugged the little girl close to her. _Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart, _she thought to herself. She had never really thought of herself as being brave before. She was scared often, even if she didn't let it show. However, as Pepper looked at Grape, eating her lunch, praising Pepper for protecting her, she thought, _Maybe I could try to be a little more brave. For you._

* * *

**_A/N - Another big 'Thank You' to everyone who has read and reviewed this. Also, not trying to sound like a PSA here, but bullying is a real problem in schools. I just wanted to pay tribute to bullying victims, and I especially want to thank all of the "Pepper's" out there, who refuse to be bystanders to this sort of thing. You're AWESOME, all of you._**


	11. Chapter Ten: Tryouts

When the next Friday rolled around, all of Gryffindor house was abuzz with excitement. Today, Quidditch tryouts were being held to replace the vacant positions on the team. Sign-up sheets had been posted in the Gryffindor common room, one for the position of Chaser and two for the Beaters. Pepper had signed up immediately as a Chaser. Her friends were surprised she had even dared to sign up.

"First years almost never make the House team, unless it's a special circumstance," Albus had explained to her when she questioned it. Albus hadn't signed up to tryout, despite his interest in Quidditch. Pepper knew that the position he really wanted was Seeker, and the current Seeker on the team was in his 7th year.

Tryouts were being held in the late afternoon, immediately following classes. Pepper had been carrying her change of clothes around since lunch. As soon as the bell rang to signify the end of classes, she had run to the Quidditch pitch as fast as she could. The Gryffindor team hadn't even arrived when Pepper got there. She changed in the team dressing rooms, putting on a pair of pants and a long sleeved sweater. When she walked out onto the pitch again, the team had assembled, and a few of the other hopefuls were waiting.

"Pepper," James called when he saw her emerge. He was dressed in his Gryffindor Quidditch robes, holding onto his Firebolt. Pepper figured it had been a gift from his father. "You're trying out?" he asked the obvious question.

"Chaser," Pepper clarified. "Anything to be closer to you," she winked, teasing him. James laughed.

"Well, good luck. I'm sure you'll do great," he encouraged her. Pepper thanked him, and he ran back to his team. Despite Albus' protests, James really wasn't all that bad. True, he could get on ones nerves, but at his core, he was a good guy and a great friend. Pepper walked over to the other Gryffindors trying out with confidence. She was the only first year. Two second year students, four third years and three fourth years made up the rest of the group.

"Alright, let's do this," The Gryffindor Captain called. Pepper glanced up at the bleachers. Most of Gryffindor house had assembled. Pepper scanned the crowd until she glimpsed Albus and Rose. To her surprise, they were sitting next to Grape, Sacha, and Cameron. Mikaela relaxed in the row above them. Pepper gave a little wave in their direction, which Rose, Grape, and Cameron all returned. Mikaela gave a military-like salute, and Albus gave her thumbs up. Sacha put two fingers in his mouth and gave a loud wolf-whistle.

"Beaters, we're run you through first. Make a line over here," the Captain, a tall, dark haired Chaser named Brian, in his 7th year, ordered. One of the second years, three third years, and two fourth years detached themselves from the group and shuffled over to where the Captain had indicated. Brian gave them all a quick once-over. "For starters, I want each of you to grab a broom. Let's see how well you can fly."

The Beaters trials lasted almost an hour. Brian had them flying around the pitch for 15 minutes, testing them for speed, maneuvers, and other things that Pepper couldn't identify if she tried. Then he and one of the other senior students on the team tossed a model Bludger to each of them a few times, giving them specific targets to hit and aim at. Finally, he released the Bludgers, and gave each pairing of Beaters the task of keeping them away from the team as they flew in formation.

From the beginning, it was almost certain who the new Beaters would be. The fourth years were terrible; one of them had to be taught how to hold his bat the correct way. The third years were decent, one of them stood out from the other two though, he was almost certain to make the team. The second year boy was phenomenal. He hit every target set for him, and on his watch, the Bludgers never even had a chance to touch the team members. Brian thanked them all, and congratulated the second and third year boys on making the team. They all went up into the bleachers to watch the Chaser selection.

"Chasers, line up," Brian ordered. Pepper tried to contain herself as she rushed to be first in line. Brian gave her an amused look as she stood before him. She was several inches shorter than any of the others trying out. "Same as the Beaters, grab a broom and hit the sky." Pepper grabbed the nearest broomstick, an old Cleansweep that looked as likely to fall out of the sky as it would fly. Pepper knew, however, that it was not the quality of the broom that mattered, but the skill of the rider.

Pepper expertly swung her leg over her broom. At her last flying lesson, she had demanded that Madam Hooch show her the proper way to mount a broom. Correcting her grip only slightly, Pepper kicked off from the ground and rose a few feet into the air. She felt the broom humming beneath her, she let herself feel every twig, every splinter. She was as close to being one with her broom as she could be. The Captain rose into the air next to her.

"Let's start with a few laps around the pitch. Catch me if you can!" he taunted, and he shot off before any of them could react. Pepper laugh, a short burst of mirth, and she leaned forward against her broom and sped after him. She flew fast and low, feeling the wind whip her hair behind her, safe in its pony tail. She felt the cold air stinging at her eyes, but it wasn't an uncomfortable sensation. She felt alive, truly alive with every fiber of her being.

Stealing a quick glance behind her, Pepper realized that she had passed Brian and was currently leaving him in her dust, so to speak. He looked amazed and amused all at the same time. Pepper laughed, and the wind whipping past her stole the sound from her lips. As she raced past the section of the bleachers that held her fellow Gryffindors, she heard catcalls and cheers, as well as exclamations of surprise. She heard Sacha distinct _Whoop! _as she passed him by.

Brian had them flying in formations next, and performing complex flips, twists, and manoeuvres around imaginary adversaries. Pepper executed each move perfectly on her first try. It felt easy to her, as simple and natural as breathing. Brian had them perform some manoeuvres and passing drills with himself and James, the other Chaser. Pepper slipped only once, she fumbled a catch that had stretched just beyond the reach of her arm. James gave her a pat on the back as they landed, then walked over to confer with his team.

"The little ones good," Alyson Graley, the team Seeker, commented as soon as James was within earshot.

"Really good!" Adam Martin, the Keeper, added. "She flew circles around the rest of them!"

"I think we should go with the third year, Brent Reynolds," Brian said.

"What!" James burst suddenly. "You're kidding, right?"

"She's too young," Brian stated calmly. "She'd never be able to handle the pressure, or the grueling training sessions. She'd just complain, and hold the rest of us back." James almost laughed, he was so angry.

"You do realize who you're talking about, right? That's Pepper _Pyramus_! She's the smartest of all the first years! Not to mention the bravest Gryffindor I've ever seen! She stood up to Teddy, didn't even flinch when he threatened her!" James explained, exasperated. Brian took this all in, but when James was done ranting, he shook his head.

"I'm sorry, James, but that's my decision." He said, and he turned towards the four waiting Chaser hopefuls. "Thanks you, all of you for trying out. You all did a great job. However, we only have one spot." Pepper crossed her fingers. It had to be her! "Brent, congratulation's. You're our new Chaser."

As the team members and Gryffindors watching clapped, Pepper felt her heart sink in her chest. She applauded as well, but only half-heartedly. She picked up her bag from the ground and hoisted it onto her shoulder. James ducked away from his team and ran up to her.

"I'm so sorry Pepper. I spoke up for you, but Brian-" he began apologizing, but Pepper cut him off.

"Don't worry about it. It's alright. I can always try out next year," she smiled at him. "Don't worry about it." James looked upset, so Pepper threw her arms around him in a quick hug. Albus had come down from the bleachers, and stood waiting for her. The others were making their way over to where he was waiting. Pepper smiled one last time at James and turned back to her group of friends.

"It should have been you!" Albus complained. Pepper just shrugged. Cameron just placed a hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture, while Grape threw her arms around Pepper waist. Sacha, in a very typical Sacha-like fashion, swore several times, quite loudly.

"I could beat Brian up, if you like?" Mikaela offered, her tone almost lazy.

"I'm god, Mik. But thanks," Pepper smiled, a genuine smile this time. No, she hadn't made Quidditch, but she had great friends that she knew would support her, defend her, even beat people up for her if she asked them to. Pepper led them all up to the castle, where dinner was waiting. Today had been a letdown. But she knew that with her friends by her side, she could always hope for tomorrow.


	12. Chapter 11: Wizard's Duel At Breakfast

A month passed, and soon the days blurred together into an incomprehensible jumble. Pepper learned more in one month at Hogwarts than she ever had in her entire schooling at home. Transfiguration, Potions, Astronomy, Herbology, Defence Against the Dark Arts . . . There was always something new and strange to learn.

Pepper found herself excelling at all her subjects. Her teachers admired her for her intelligence and her willingness to learn. She was willing to learn. Pepper would spend most of her evening sitting in the library, reading her way through large volumes on spells and charm work. Some nights, she would bring the books up to her room and practice under her blankets. She was getting quite good, although she was fairly certain that Albus's owl, Fulmen, didn't particularly enjoy behind stunned all of the time.

The only exception to Pepper's academic prowess was Astronomy. That she was failing dismally. She really did try; she copied all the notes that they were given in class and did all of her homework. But whenever it came to practical use of telescopes, her wits failed her. Pepper would find herself gazing aimlessly at the stars, wondering if perhaps her mother was up there, looking down at her. Or maybe she was somewhere else in the world, looking at the night sky and wondering where her daughter was. Pepper hoped that she cared.

That morning, Pepper woke up feeling particularly unpleasant. Something irked her, though she couldn't identify what it was. She just felt as if it would be a bad day. Pepper scowled through breakfast, and shot down every attempt at conversation that Albus or Rose mad. Sacha, Cameron, Grape and Mikaela had taken to sitting with them at the end of the Gryffindor table, and they noticed Pepper's foul mood too.

"Looks like someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," Sacha teased in a light-hearted tone. He chuckled, and stared at Pepper expectantly. On a good day, Pepper would have laughed with him, or else rolled her eyes and tossed her hair back from her face with a sigh. Not so today. Sacha's face fell slightly. "What's eating you?" he asked with genuine concern.

"I don't know!" Pepper cried. Sacha nodded understandingly. Albus frowned and reached a hand for Pepper's, but she jerked hers back and hid it underneath the table. She knew she was being awful, but she couldn't seem to help herself. "It's just one of those days, okay?"

"Okay!" Sacha raised his hands defensively, as if they could deflect her harsh tongue. Pepper sighed.

"I'm sorry," she said with real apology in her voice. "Today's just starting really suckishly."

"And it's about to get worse," an obnoxious sneer came from behind her. Pepper turned and found herself looking up into the ugly mug of Teddy McNair. Pepper sighed. Most definitely not her day.

"Hi there, Teddy Bear!" Pepper chirped with all the fake cheeriness she could muster. Behind her, she heard Sacha snigger, and mutter something like _'poet and she didn't know it' _under his breath. Grape let out a small giggle at Sacha's comment, but the narrowing of Teddy's eyes closed Grape's mouth into a tight lipped line.

"You're just digging an even deeper hole for yourself, Pippa," Teddy growl. Pepper reached a hand to her face and flicked his saliva off her cheek.

"Dude, say it. Don't spray it," she said with disgust. Sacha let out the girliest little giggle at this second rhyme. Pepper glanced at him over her shoulder. "So what if I rhyme all the time? Just take a pill, boy, you'd better chill." Sacha gave her a sarcastic round of applause, and Pepper gave him a small mock bow. She turned back to Teddy, whose face was slowly turning an interesting shade of purple-ish red. "Can I help you, good sir?"

"As a matter of fact, you can, Pippa." Pepper sighed.

"It's Pepper, numb-skull." Mikaela gave a small noise behind Pepper that could have been a hiss of warning.

"Shut it," Teddy spat. "You and me have a score to settle."

"We do!" Pepper exclaimed innocently, her eyebrows rising up high on her forehead.

"Damn straight we do, you little witch!" Teddy growled at her again. Pepper shook her head and tutted.

"Language, sir, Language!" she scolded him. "There are children present!" Pepper smiled. The smile slid from her face quickly, however, as Teddy slipped a hand beneath his ropes. In the Muggle world, Pepper would have assumed he was pulling a gun out from beneath his coat. Instead, his wand slipped into his fingers. He raised it, pointing it straight at Pepper, and started shaping his lips to utter a curse.

"Flipendo!"

In the seconds it had taken Teddy to think of a spell and begin casting it, Pepper had whipped her wand out of its hidden pocket in her robes and uttered the first spell that had come to her mind. Teddy jerked suddenly with surprise, and flew back several feet onto the stone steps leading up to the teacher's table. The entire hall fell silent; students paused with their forks halfway to their mouths as the turned to the spectacle at the front of the room. Several teachers began rising from their seats to assess the damage. Teddy groaned as he hoisted himself up onto one elbow and aimed his wand again.

"Stupefy!" he cried, but Pepper had already swept her wand in front of her, saying "Protego" as calmly as if she were in duels every day. Teddy looked terrified as Pepper took several steps toward him, her wand aimed at his chest. She felt as if she had no control over her actions. A fire burned through her veins. Her necklace, which she had worn nonstop since Gringotts, burned her skin; the heat illuminated her face with a red light.

At the table, her friends watched with horror and amazement as Pepper was transformed before their eyes. Her sweet, caring demeanor was gone, her gentle smile replaced with a burning look of concentration, and remorseless delight. Her hair floated out around her, the dark curls flying about on an invisible breeze. Her entire body seemed to be illuminated by a ghostly red werelight, throwing her cruelty-distorted features into a harsh, bloody light. Pepper raised her wand again.

"Expelliarmus!" Another voice cried, and the wand flew from Pepper hand. It flailed through the air, until it was snagged by the capable hands of Professor Longbottom. He had run down from the high table, and was staring at Pepper with an expression of shock, admiration, and fear. "What are you doing?"

The moment Professor Longbottom had broken Pepper's concentration; she seemed to give herself a mental shake. Her face melted into a shocked expression, and tears welled in the corners of her eyes as she gasped for breath. Her hands flew to the necklace, so hot on her skin moments ago. The stone felt as it always did, warm, like fire, whispers of flames echoing in Pepper ears. Teddy jumped to his feet the moment it was clear that Pepper wasn't going to attack.

"She pulled her wand on me sir, without any warning! Just attacked me, sir!" Teddy lied with ease. Sacha let out a cry of indignation, and Cameron, Mikaela, and Albus all shouted in protest.

"Teddy attacked her first sir-"

"Pepper was only defending-"

"He was gonna hex her, honest-"

Professor Longbottom allowed them to babble for a moment, but the swell of noise hurt his head. "Enough!" he cried after a minute. The group fell silent. "All of you, in my office. Now." he ordered. Professor Longbottom swept his cloak around as he turned on one heel and led them out of the Great Hall. Teddy gave Pepper a look of pure hatred before following the Professor out. Pepper turned to Albus. He nodded, and he led the way as Pepper, Sacha, Grape, Mikaela Rose and Cameron all walked single file out of the Great Hall. Everyone else followed them with their eyes, and Pepper imagined she could still feel the stares when the doors to the Great Hall snapped shut.

* * *

**DamienNY** - _Sorry if you don't like my story. Despite what you say, Albus is a major character in the plot development of this story. This is only the first of seven books, and I fully intend to give Albus a pivotal role in this series. Pepper is my main character, and much of the plot revolves around her, but I gave the characters of Albus and Neville as a reference for the characters that readers can expect in my story. If you think it's misleading, don't read it. I do appreciate you commenting, though. Thanks, at least, for giving my story a try :)_


	13. Chapter Twelve: Crime and Punishment

Professor Longbottom led them through the hall ways of the school, far into the West Wing. The torch light flickered off the stone walls; giving an eerie and dismal feeling the only accentuated the mood of the group. Teddy was still walking several feet ahead of the rest of the group, and every so often he would glance back over his shoulder to give Pepper a sneer or a hateful look. Pepper stuck her tongue out at him.

Professor Longbottom turned suddenly into a door that Pepper had not noticed before. It was made of a dark red wood, and carvings of vines twisted around the planks. The doorknob was a bright ivy vine that looked so life like, Pepper half expected it to grow out of the door and wrap itself around Professor Longbottom's hand as he pushed the door open. The office that they walked into was bright, light by the enormous window that stretched across the wall. A small glass door led directly into the Greenhouses. The office itself was green, green from the many plants, vines and herbs that grew everywhere. They grew in pots, overhanging baskets, some even sprouted up from cracks between the stones of the floor. Pepper heard the soft trickling of water, and her eyes located the small fountain in the corner of the room, floating up and down on some invisible current of air.

"All of you sit down," Professor Longbottom commanded. He strode over to his desk, highly polished and free of clutter, and sat down on a seat woven from living branches that grew up from the floor. Pepper glanced around, exchanging a look of confusion with her friends. Professor Longbottom had taken the only chair in the room. But then he gave a flick of his wand, and instantaneously, several branches twisted out of the stone, weaving themselves into crude stools. Professor Longbottom inclined his head. Pepper sat. Teddy did beside her, his stool creaking under his massive form.

"Teddy," Professor Longbottom said, his voice brusque. "Explain to me what happened this morning." Teddy nodded, and he shot a smug sideways glance over at Pepper. She bristled in complaint.

"Sir, I was just going to talk to my sister," Teddy lied, the words sliding from his mouth like the slimy snake he was. "Pepper and I had had a . . . disagreement, several months ago." Grape shuddered beside Pepper, and Pepper reached for her hand, even as her face flushed with anger. She couldn't believe that Teddy could sit there and calmly tell an outright lie to a Professor. A man that Pepper respected. She desperately wanted to hex him again. "I tried to apologize to her, but Pepper wouldn't hear it! Before I knew what had happened, she pulled out her wand and jinxed me! I was terrified!"

Pepper leaped up from her seat, but Grape used her grip to pull her back down again, with surprising strength. Pepper glared at her, but Grape shook her head calmly_. Don't give them another reason to punish you_, her eyes pleaded. Pepper's face softened, and she breathed out a long sigh. "That's not what happened," she told Professor Longbottom, as calm as possible.

"Tell me, Pepper," Professor Longbottom requested. Pepper looked at him for some kind of encouragement, but his eyes only showed disappointment.

"I was just eating breakfast with my friends, Professor. Teddy - I mean, Theodore, came up to me and said that we had a score to settle. The 'disagreement' that he spoke of, happened when he was bullying Grape." Pepper glanced towards Grape, who was nodding in earnest. "I may have insulted him . . ." Sacha snorted, but Pepper ignored him. "He reached for his wand. He was about to curse me, and I reacted. He landed on the floor, and tried stunning me, but I blocked it. And then you came." Pepper finished with a finality.

"Is this what happened?" Professor Longbottom turned to Pepper's friends. They all nodded.

"It's true, sir." Albus confirmed, his voice steady. "Teddy threatened her, sir. He would have hexed her if he'd had the chance."

Professor Longbottom folded his fingers around themselves, and didn't comment. The group of them sat there in silence for a long while, as he pondered the issue. Pepper imagined an imaginary clock ticking as the waited. The seconds dragged on. Grape fidgeted in her seat, and the wood emitted a harsh squeal. That shook Professor Longbottom out of his reverie. He sighed.

"Pepper, I do believe you. But you shouldn't have jinxed Teddy. You violated the rules of this school, and of the Wizarding World in general. Both of you are going to be punished." Pepper bowed her head solemnly. She could accept her punishment. She still didn't know what had come over her in the Great Hall, and she regretted losing control. But she couldn't help sneaking a glance over at Teddy and giving him a small smirk. "Teddy, I'm taking 50 points from your House, and I will be writing to your family. I'm giving you a warning. If I hear of any more incidences of bullying, of any kind, you will be expelled from Hogwarts." Professor Longbottom spoke with an undeniable air of command.

"Yes sir." Teddy had paled considerably. Pepper remembered Mikaela telling her that Teddy was afraid of no one more than he was of his mother. She had to stifle a laugh.

"Pepper, I'm also going to take 50 points from Gryffindor. And you'll be receiving detention."

Any desire that Pepper had had to laugh had vanished in that instance. Her mouth fell open. "What!"

"You attacked a student, Pepper. I can't stress enough the seriousness of that action. You will serve detention with me each Friday until the end of this month," Professor Longbottom sounded apologetic, but Pepper could barely comprehend the tone of his words beneath the blind anger that was pounding through her now. She had only been defending herself! Teddy would have done worse if she'd given him the chance! "You're dismissed." Professor Longbottom waved them towards the door.

Pepper stood there for a moment, until Albus wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Come one," he hissed into her ear. He steered her out of the office. Pepper could feel someone's hand, Grape's or Mikaela's, pressed against the small of her back, urging her forwards. Outside the office, she heard Teddy sneer, "Take that, you witch."

"Teddy, shut up!" Mikaela turned on him. "Go away, now. I swear. I'm writing to Mom tonight!" Mikaela gave Teddy a push, and he stalked off down the hall. "Pepper, are you okay?" Mikaela asked concernedly. Pepper nodded blankly.

"I'm fine," she spoke from miles away. "Let's just go get lunch."


	14. Chapter Thirteen: Burning

Pepper detached herself from Albus, and took off at a brisk pace down the hall. She could hear the others speeding up to catch her. Pepper threw open the doors to the Great Hall. Lunch was already laid out on the tables but the Hall was, mercifully, empty. Pepper made a beeline for their usual seat at the end of the Gryffindor table. She had already piled pasta noodles onto her plate by the time the others had taken their seats.

"Pepper, are you sure that you're-" Cameron began, but Pepper cut him off.

"Absolutely! I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be fine?" Pepper laughed. She realized that she sounded hysterical. Her voice had risen to a higher octave than normal, and she laughed almost like a hyena. The thought made her laugh even more, and soon she sounded almost maniacal. Her friends all looked frightened.

"Pepper, maybe you should calm down." Albus sat down across from her. His eyes were filled with concern. Pepper took a few deep breaths to calm herself, and her laughter stopped.

"Why wouldn't I be fine? After all, I only just got detention for trying to stop a lunatic from jinxing me! Really, I should be totally okay with it!" Pepper oozed sarcasm. She felt the anger again, burning through her, filling her with a heat akin to fire. The necklace around her throat seemed to tighten and burn her flesh.

"It could've been worse," Sacha piped up optimistically. "You could have been expelled."

Pepper turned to smile at him, but her eyes were still filled with the anger. "Yes, I suppose I could have been," she agreed, picking up the gleaming golden fork in her hand. "I suppose I should be grateful, being punished for absolutely no just reason at all!" Pepper felt the anger burning through her, and she stabbed viciously at her noodles. The heat was almost uncomfortable now. Pepper heard a gasp, and she looked up at Albus. His eyes were wide.

"Pepper-" he said in shock.

"What?"

He didn't answer; he just glanced down at her hand and at her plate. Pepper looked at the fork in her hand. It wasn't there. Instead, a steady stream of molten gold pooled from her fingers, dripping down her hand and collecting over her noodles, until they all shimmered with the golden sauce. Pepper couldn't even feel the burning of the molten metal on her skin as she stared at the puddle in amazement. The heat within her heightened as fear rose in her chest.

"Holy cow!" Sacha breathed behind her. Pepper watched the metal cool as it left her burning skin, forming a solid crust over her lunch. Her skin still felt hot. Much too hot. Pepper stood quickly, the bench scraping on the cold, stone floor as she pushed it back. Pepper heard feet shuffling as Rose, Cameron, Grape, Sacha and Mikaela all moved back to avoid her. "Pepper, what was that" Sacha exclaimed in amazement. He sounded both frightened and impressed.

Pepper shook her head, back and forth repeatedly. "I . . . I have to go," she stuttered. Pepper turned heel and ran out of the Great Hall. She heard hear friends beginning to protest behind her, but she was already out of the doors. The Entrance Hall was full of students, all shoving their way into the Great Hall to eat their lunch after classes. Pepper dodged around them, ducking under some arms and around packs of students, until she reached the staircase. She fled up the stairs, and made a sharp right. The nearest bathroom was on the second floor, and she hurried inside.

The fire burned within her. Pepper could feel it licking through her veins, melting her from the inside out. It was painful, so painful that Pepper wished she could scream. But the fire had seared her jaws shut. Pepper collapsed against the sink, resting her head against the tarnished mirror. The cold glass did little to soothe her burning. She looked at herself. Her face shone with a sheen of sweat, her skin flushed to a fiery red. Her eyes, normally a gentle gold in color, blazed with an angry light. She could see the flickering of flames reflected in them. _The One Who Burns as the Phoenix_ . . . Mr. Ollivander's words echoed through her mind.

Pepper grit her teeth as another wave of fire ravaged through her. The heat seared her skin, and Pepper raised a hand. Her very skin seemed to writhe in the pain the heat cause, shuddering just beneath the flames was the fire. Pepper but her lip as the heat in her hand rose, and the fire bit her angrily. She whimpered and begged for relief. She let the fire go.

The fire flared to life, enveloping her skin. No, not enveloping it, becoming it. She was the fire. The fire wasn't surrounding her, it was her. The flames fled up her arm, to her shoulder, and her skin melted away into black flames. Pepper admired the fire that now licked the air around her. Bright golden flames, with small tongues of silvery blue and red spitting up here and there. Pepper stared at the flames, mesmerized. She willed the fire at her fingertips, and it collected in her hand, a great ball that blaze. The mirror cracked with the heat.

"Pepper-" Albus's voice came timidly from outside the bathroom door. He stepped inside, uncertain, and then his eyes widened. "Bloody hell!" he cried. "Pepper, you're on fire!" Pepper laughed.

"Yes, it would appear so." She spoke more calmly than she felt. Inside, she was bursting with fear, excitement, and especially with question. The fire flared up again, bright white and hot. Albus took a step back as the heat stung his face.

"How-" he swallowed, and his eyes narrowed as the initial shock left his face. "How are you doing that?" Pepper laughed, a thrilled little giggle, as she allowed the feeling of the living flame to show to him momentarily. Albus could clearly see the pleasure and the sheer joy in her face, shining even brighter than the flames themselves.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. She frowned slightly, and the flames dimmed and disappeared. Pepper examined her skin. It was smooth, unburned, and perfect. She couldn't say the same for her robes. The fire had burned through the material of her sleeve, leaving her with a charred rag. The necklace still burned her skin, but it was gentler now. The fire was close to her heart, Pepper felt its heat. Pepper turned her hand over, examining it from every angle."I have no idea."


	15. Chapter Fourteen: Seeking Answers

The sky was just beginning to darken as Pepper slipped out of the portrait hole of the Gryffindor common room. She had her hand stuffed in her pocket, and she was fingering her wand nervously. The door slammed shut behind her, and Pepper heard a soft sigh as the Fat Lady watched her walk away.

"You had better be back before your curfew, young lady!" The Fat Lady called after her. Pepper rolled her eyes, and sped up as she hurtled down the stairs, taking them two at a time. Her footsteps echoed in the empty hallways. Despite it being early spring, and the air being warmer, Pepper still shivered in the cold air of the passageways and halls that twisted through the school. She wished she had brought her cloak.

Pepper turned left, and ahead of her, an enormous bronzed gargoyle loomed, sitting upright with its wings stretched out and around as if to wrap Pepper in a stony embrace. A few small stairs peeked up from the base of the gargoyle. Pepper stood at the gargoyle's talon-ed feet, staring up at the stony face. "Umm..." she said uncertainly. "Can I go up... please?" It felt weird, being polite to a stone gargoyle. But Pepper had learned that it was better to be polite to inanimate objects in the Wizarding World. You never knew when a stone lion was going to take a snap at you.

Despite her best manners, the gargoyle didn't budge. "I really, really need to see Headmistress McGonagall," Pepper pleaded with the statue. Still nothing. Pepper sighed, and hung her head.

"What's so urgent, Miss Zaniel?"

Pepper jumped, and spun 180 degrees, whirling to face whomever had spoken. She hadn't even heard anyone approaching. Headmistress McGonagall stood there, in robes of deep forest green that draped around her tall frame. She wore her usually pointed tam, although this particular hat, Pepper noted, had an exceptionally long black feather sweeping to one side. "Headmistress," Pepper breathed, placing a hand to her chest to feel her racing heart. "I need to talk with you."

Headmistress McGonagall raised an eyebrow. "Indeed," she said. "Well, then, I suppose you had best come up to my office." Headmistress McGonagall strode forward past Pepper and directed her sharp gaze towards the gargoyle. "Bana-bhuidseach," she said firmly. The gargoyle made a grinding motion, as if it were nodding its head. Then, with the scraping sound of stone upon stone, the gargoyle turned slowly, revealing stairs that began to stretch up through the ceiling. Headmistress McGonagall walked forward with long strides, and stood on the topmost step. She turned to Pepper. "Miss Zaniel, please."

Pepper jumped onto the nearest step. She threw out her hands to both sides, balancing herself as the staircase shuddered and wound its way around the walls. Above, Pepper could see a soft, rosy glow of light, that, as she grew closer, she realized was the flickering light of candles shining from the set of double doors. Headmistress McGonagall steeped confidently off the staircase, and pushed the door open further as she walked inside. Pepper stood on the staircase a moment longer, until the grating noise stopped, and the gargoyle halted its ascension. Then she skipped up the last few steps into the office.

The main floor of the office was enormous. It was at least the size of two Gryffindor common rooms put together. An iron staircase on either side of the room led up to what Pepper assumed was the Headmistress' personal chambers. Candles flickered all around the room, reflecting off of various mirrors and glass cabinets. One cabinet was filled with tiny vials of soft, shimmering liquid. Pepper stepped towards the vials, and she felt as if she could hear voices emanating from them, distant, echoing sounds. Her necklace blazed with a sudden heat, almost as if it was in anticipation of what it would hear.

"Miss Zaniel." Headmistress McGonagall's voice tore Pepper attention away from the vials, and the whispering stopped. The necklace cooled again. The Headmistress was already seated at her desk, her fingers folded over each other patiently. She nodded at the twisted wooden chair opposite her, and Pepper stumbled forward to sit down. ""Miss Zaniel, may I ask why you needed to see me so urgently, so late at night?"

"Yes ma'am," Pepper drew in a deep breath. "Something ... unusual happened to me today, ma'am." Pepper explained haltingly. She wasn't entirely certain how to explain what had happened. How do you tell someone that you have the ability to light yourself and other things on fire at will? Headmistress McGonagall waited patiently. "Ma'am," Pepper tried again. "Does the phrase 'The One Who Burns As The Phoenix' mean anything to you?"

Professor McGonagall's hands slipped off the desk and fell into her lap. Her mouth had also fallen open, and Pepper thought she saw a glint of... Triumph? Fear? Something abnormal in her eyes. Headmistress McGonagall searched Pepper's face with certain desperation, and her eyes widened as they settled on the necklace resting in the hollow of Pepper's throat. "You weren't supposed to find out for years," McGonagall muttered under breath, so quietly that Pepper barely managed to make out the words.

"Find out what, ma'am?" Pepper asked. Headmistress McGonagall raised her eyes to Pepper's face once again, and the look she gave her was almost pitying. Then, almost as if she had shaken herself internally, McGonagall's face composed itself back into her usual mask of stern calculation.

"It is not important right now. What's important, is that you do not tell _anyone _about what happened, understood?" Headmistress McGonagall barked at her. Pepper nodded, but she was confused. Headmistress McGonagall must have been able to see the confusion on her face, because her expression softened slightly. "You are too young to understand just yet. But you will, someday, Pepper," she said, not unkindly.

Pepper stood, forcing her chair back with a loud scraping noise. "I understand," she said carefully. "That you won't tell me anything. At least, for now. And I will be careful. I'm not about to blurt it to the entire school that I caught fire this afternoon," Pepper said bluntly. Headmistress McGonagall almost winced at her words. "Thank you for your time."

Headmistress McGonagall nodded, and for a moment, her mask fell and her face was full of pity once more. Pepper turned sharply and walked out of the office. She struggled to keep her face straight, but inside, her thought were in turmoil. She would keep the secret, but not from her friends. If she couldn't trust them, she couldn't trust anyone. But she refused to wait to learn more about what was happening to her. Headmistress McGonagall knew something, and Pepper was going to find out what.

* * *

**These last couple of chapters have been really short, and I wanna apologize about that. It weird how so many pages on Word can take up so little room :S Thanks to all my reviewers and readers, you're amazing!**


	16. Chapter Fifteen: Club Awesome

"Okay, this first meeting of ... we people who are friends ... is now in session," Pepper began awkwardly. She was sitting along the edge of the Black Lake, pulling up small blades of grass with her fingers nervously, and ripping them to shreds. Albus was sitting next to her, and she could feel his anxious glare against the side of her head. Mikaela was spread lazily in a patch of sunlight, while Rose and Grape sat on their cloaks next to her. Cameron was leaning up against a nearby tree; his eyes searched Pepper's face with curiosity.

"First motion of business; can we pick a club name?" Sacha demanded excitedly. He was crouched in the tree above Cameron's head, using his wand to shoot twigs and small pieces of bark towards a group of seventh year Slytherins that were studying on the water's edge several meters away. Every so often, one of them would glance up angrily as they were pelted in the back to the head, and Sacha would hide his wand back in his sleeve.

"Maybe later," Pepper said distractedly, and Sacha's face fell slightly. "We have some major issues going on right now." Albus rolled his eyes at her slight understatement, and Pepper shot him a dirty look. This was her meeting, and she would conduct it however she pleased. She didn't want to send any of her friends running once she told them she could light herself on fire.

"What is it, Pepper?" Cameron asked. He spoke quietly but with great intensity, and his eyes were piercing hers. Cameron could be very sensitive to the moods of people around him, and just then he must have sensed her anxiety and utter confusion. Pepper had everyone's full attention: even Mikaela had rolled onto her stomach and propped her head up on her elbows.

"Well," Pepper bit her lip. She wasn't sure how to begin this particular discussion. It was highly unusual, to say the least. "You guys remember lunch, the day of my fight with Teddy?" she prompted. Mikaela, Cameron, Grape and Rose nodded, their eyes sparking with curiosity. Sacha just chuckled from up in his tree, and Albus was looking grim faced. "After I ran out, I hid in the girls' washroom. And something really ... strange, happened to me."

Albus butted in suddenly. "Pepper caught fire," he exclaimed, the words flying out of him as if he could barely contain himself. Mikaela raised an eyebrow, but Grape and Rose gasped on either side of her. Pepper heard a snapping sound as the branch Sacha had been preparing to launch at the Slytherins snapped between his fingers, the pieces falling onto Cameron's head. "I saw it myself, when I followed her," Albus stated stubbornly to their looks of disbelief.

No one spoke. Then, suddenly, Sacha piped up. "Dude, you went into the girl's washroom? That is wrong on sooooo many levels," he snorted, and Albus glared at him, shaking his head. Sacha shrugged and laughed. "Okay, you two, it's super cute that you guys called this meeting to play your little practical joke on us, but really? I'm not buying it." Sacha said stubbornly.

"We're not joking," Pepper said, stone faced. "I know it. Al knows it. McGonagall even knows something about it, but she won't tell me anything. That's why I need your help."

"Just say I believed you," Sacha mused, "How would you have us help?"

"I need a distraction. Fireworks, dung bombs, a duel... anything. I just need to get into her office," Pepper explained. She didn't know why, but she felt certain that the answers lay in the cabinet with all of the little vials. The shimmering liquid that had whispered to her, wanting to tell her it's secrets, and secrets about herself, too. Pepper glanced at her friends gathered around her. Mikaela, Grape and Rose still looked shocked, but determined. Cameron still stared at her with concern, and above his head, Sacha looked excited with the prospect of raising hell for the teachers.

"There's the May 2 Memorial assembly," Rose said quietly. Pepper looked at her, confused. "It's the ceremony to commemorate everyone who died in the Battle of Hogwarts, as well as the war against Voldemort. The entire school will be present. That could be your best chance," Rose explained. Pepper nodded gratefully towards her.

"That's what I'll do then. You guys can act as lookouts, and I'll think of some way for you to pass a message on to me, when the assembly is over, so that Al and I know to get out," Pepper told them. Then she turned to Albus. "I know it's a bit presumptuous of me, but I want you with me, when I sneak in to McGonagall's office?" She turned her statement into a hesitant question, but Albus was already nodding his head.

"Of course," was all he said. All he needed to say.

The group fell silent for a moment, and all Pepper could hear was the water of the Black Lake gently lapping against the stones, and the occasional cough and random burst of laughter from the group of Slytherin's further down the Lake. "Can you..." Cameron spoke, but hesitated, not wanting to overstep his boundaries. "Can you show us?" he whispered.

Pepper shrugged, and Cameron straightened up excitedly. She could feel the others staring as well, and heard the wood of the tree squeal in protest as Sacha shifted forward, watching closely, while still feigning disinterest. Pepper concentrated on the ever present heat around her throat, the gentle burning of the ruby charm. She drew some of that heat into her, and sent it running down her arm into her left hand. A spark flared to life, then a tiny flame flickered into existence, dancing on the tips of her fingers. She heard the sharp intake of breath from everyone, and the flame disappeared again.

"Holy-" Sacha breathed in, then said something incredibly rude and inappropriate. Pepper sat back on her heels, feeling the slightest bit lightheaded and overheated. The necklace seemed to be tighter around her throat, and she was breathing in shallow gasps.

"Told you," Pepper gasped, and she flicked her eyes up to grin at Sacha. Albus tried to look casual, having seen it already, but his eyes burned with curiosity and excitement. Cameron and Rose looked particularly dumbfounded, and Grape's mouth was practically scraping the dirt. Only Mikaela remained composed, looking almost bored, but that was just her way. She smiled as Pepper met her gaze.

"Cool," she said, flashing her teeth at Pepper. Pepper couldn't help smiling back. Cool was definitely one word for it.

"That's awesome," Sacha exclaimed, and he slipped down from his branch, landing softly on the balls of his feet. "Totally awesome!"

"So, you'll help me find some answers?" Pepper asked them all, but her gaze was directed towards Sacha. He grinned and nodded. Grape rolled over along the grass until she was directly beside Pepper, and the little girl took one of Pepper's hands into her own.

"Of course we will," Grape said determinedly. Pepper smiled and held Grape's hand tighter. She needed their support just then, and Grape understood that. She wanted to find answers almost as much as Pepper did, because she loved Pepper just as much as she wanted to satiate her own curiosity.

"So, can we still have a club name?" Sacha asked suddenly, interrupting the tense moment of silence. Pepper widened her eyes, amazed, then threw her head back in laughter. Albus, Grape, Rose and Cameron joined in, and even Mikaela let out a bit of a chuckle. Sacha stood their smugly, looking very satisfied with himself. "I vote for 'Club Totally Awesome, Flaming, and Better Than Your Club'".

Pepper laughed again. "I second that motion," she agreed. "Club Awesome for short." They all laughed again, and the group of Slytherin's all turned heads in their direction, and gave them dirty looks. Pepper just ignored them. She was happy. Her friends hadn't rejected her as a freak, in fact, they wanted to help her. Soon, she would have the answers that she needed. She just wondered what kind of answers they would be.

* * *

**_My reviewers are so wonderfully kind! I love you guys :)_**


	17. Chapter Sixteen: Prophecy

The Great Hall was hung with black. Black cloth draped over the head table and the stairs beneath it, hung from the walls, even stretched across the enormous window towards the back of the hall. The enchanted ceiling had been spelled to a stormy gray, both sombre and foreboding. Even the torchlight in the Hall had been dimmed to a subtle flickering. The mood of the school was solemn. Everyone wore their finest black robes, even the teachers. There was no laughter as people slowly filed into the Great Hall. Today was a day for remembrance.

In the Entrance Hall, the case the normally held the gemstones that counted House points were gone. In its place, a simple mural, a wall of name, floated unsupported in the middle of the Hall. The names of every person who had died in the battle against Voldemort were written in golden ink across the air. Albus pointed to one name, near the edge of the mural. _Fred Weasley. _"My uncle," he explained. "Rose's too. He died during the Battle of Hogwarts." Then Albus took Pepper hand, and pulled her further along the wall, towards the section dedicated to the victims of the first Wizarding War. "My grandparents," he said, pointing to the names _James and Lily Potter. _"My older brother James and my younger sister Lily are named after them.

Pepper gazed at the wall of names. Some of them, she had heard of before, in her recent history books that chronicled the story of Voldemort and the Wizarding Wars. _Sirius Black. _Thought to have been a traitor and a murderer, exonerated only after he died. _Albus Dumbledore. _Previous Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus's namesake, and the greatest sorcerer of the age. Even _Dobby, the House Elf _was inscribed upon the air in the shining gold ink.

"It doesn't seem right," Pepper mused sullenly. "All these lives, destroyed, because of one snake-like, twisted villain." Albus nodded in agreement. The pair of them was standing in the midst of the throng of students that were moving slowly into the Great Hall. Pepper could see Professor Longbottom and the other Heads of Houses ushering the students in through the doors and pointing them to where they would stand. First years in the front, seventh years in the back, grouped according to House. Pepper thought she glimpsed Grapes tiny form as she slipped under the outstretched arm of a teacher into the Great Hall.

"Come on," Pepper muttered to Albus, as the tide of students surrounding them thinned. A few stragglers were running down the staircases towards the doors to the Great Hall, but for the most part, Albus and Pepper were the only students not already in the Hall. "Let's go." Pepper slipped away from the mural of names, towards the second floor washroom where Pepper had first burned. The teachers didn't see them go, and they managed to make a clean getaway.

Pepper spun into the girl's washroom, pulling Albus in behind her by the collar of his cloak. The door slammed shut behind them, and Pepper flinched at the sound. She was breathing heavily, as was Albus, his face barely inches away from hers. "Let's just wait in here a few minutes," Pepper huffed, and she let go of Albus and stepped away awkwardly. Albus nodded, and his face was slightly red. The silence stretched between them, and those few minutes felt like an age to Pepper.

"I think... I think we should be okay now," Albus said, and he pushed the door open slightly and caned his neck to look outside. "Let's go get you some answers." Albus held the door for Pepper as she stepped out of the bathroom. The pair of them tiptoed cautiously through the hall. In Pepper's nervous state, every footstep sounded like a stampede, every gust of wind sent her spinning, looking for someone stalking them through the halls. No one was there. Everyone was in the Great Hall, paying respects to the fallen witches and wizards.

The stone gargoyle came into view. Pepper stared at the blank, chiseled features. "Do you know the password?" Albus asked timidly. Pepper nodded.

"It was something foreign... Gaelic, I think," she told him. "Something like... Bana... Budskeitch?' Pepper asked the gargoyle. Nothing. It remained motionless. Pepper thought a moment, and then tried again. "Err... Bane-Budstchack?" Still nothing. Pepper grimaced, and Albus widened his eyes in concern.

"Maybe-" he began, but Pepper hushed him. She thought carefully, back to the day she had first burned. Back to her visit with Headmistress McGonagall.

"Bana-bhuidseach."

The familiar sound of stone grating against stone, and the stone gargoyle began its upwards spiral towards McGonagall's office. Pepper felt a sudden thrill of triumph, but with it came a flash of uncertainty. She was almost there, but would the answers she received be the ones that she wanted? Albus noticed her moment of hesitation, and he took her hand. His voice and smile were reassuring. "We've made it this far, haven't we? I'm here with you, okay?" Pepper smiled gratefully.

The stone staircase turned, sending Pepper and Albus up towards the Headmistress's office. The stairs came to a halt in front of the office doors, with a horrid scraping sound that set Pepper's teeth on edge. Pepper tried the door handle. It wasn't locked. The door swung open easily, with only the slightest creak of hinges. Pepper stepped inside, Albus following her close behind.

The office was dead silent. No life moved within, save for the Sorting Hat a top McGonagall's shelf. He - Pepper thought the hat was a he, but one never knew with hats - looked down on the intruders with a questioning glare. The hat's expression softened slightly when he saw Pepper, and became more comical. He let out a small snort of amusement. "Ms. Pyramus, how expected," the hat said sneeringly. Albus started slightly at the voice, but Pepper smiled at the hat.

"You knew I'd be back, didn't you?" she asked, and the hat looked exceptionally smug.

"You're much too curious not to, my dear. It all inside your head. But if you're looking for answers, the Pensieve may be of more assistance than I," the hat said, leaning forward, as much as a hat could, and indicating the cabinet that Pepper had been so drawn to on her last visit to the office. Even as Pepper turned to the tiny rows of vials, she could hear the whispers beginning around her, and she could feel the heat that pressed against her skin. Pepper reached with a hand for the cabinet doors, and they swung open of their own accord. Beside the cabinet doors, a shining silver basin floated forward, raising itself so that it became level with Pepper's chest.

"Pepper," Albus began uneasily, but Pepper waved a hand behind her absently, cutting hi off. She stepped towards the vials, feeling the whispers grow stronger, hearing them grow louder in her head. One voice in particular stood out, and Pepper closed her eyes to listen to the sound. _Burns As The Phoenix, _it hissed, and Pepper shivered at the familiar words. Her hands searched the vials, using senses not known to her, and she felt her fingers enclose the smooth glass. Her eyes snapped open.

The vial she held was small, and seemingly ordinary. It looked somewhat older than many of the others; the glass was clouded from age. Pepper could see through the cloud, and she watched the silvery mist twist within its container. The top was stoppered with a small plug of golden cork, and Pepper tugged it free with her free hand. A breath of mist, like a soft sigh, was emitted as the vial was opened. Pepper tilted the vial slightly, and the silver basin came forward to meet the shining liquid as it spilled from the vial and settled, unsplashing into a pool in the Pensieve.

Pepper tipped her face forward, and she hovered just above the liquid. She watched the swirling silver form shapes, shadows, echoes of the past. She could see into a dimly lit room, small, and distorted as if she were looking on it from a great distance. Her nose touched the image, and the ground disappeared from beneath her feet.

_With a jolt, Pepper found herself standing in the middle of a dingy, dimly lit room. The air was hazy with a fog of smoke, and Pepper's nose was filled with the sickeningly sweet scent of burning incense. She whirled around on the spot, and stopped. Before her was a death scene straight from a tragic play. A young woman sat sobbing, holding onto the hands of the older, frailer one. The frail woman was breathing in great gasps, and Pepper could hear the death rattle within each one. She wanted to run, hide, avert her eyes, but she couldn't. Her gaze remained fixated on the scene before her. ___

_The young woman stood, blinking tears back from her eyes, and she turned to leave the room. The frail woman watched her, a certain fondness in her pale face. Then, her body seized up suddenly in a sudden fit of some kind. Her eyes grew distant, burning with a strange fire. She seemed to be staring straight at Pepper, raking her eyes over her form. "_Beware," _the woman cried at Pepper, her voice multiplied a thousand fold. It echoed in a way that it seemed not to come from the woman, but from beyond her. From someone speaking through her. ___

_"_In triumph, darkness shall rise again... servant as the master, death losing hold... Darkness falls at the hands of the Dark Lady... And the one who burns as the phoenix shall come... Beside her stands the son of lightning, and she shall have a power that evil knows not... her choice alone to save or destroy... the one who burns, burns as the phoenix, Shall come."

_The woman stared at Pepper for a moment, her eyes growing closer, until suddenly she blinked and they filled with tears. They were full of fear and pity as she looked at Pepper. Then, the frail woman fell back onto her bed, limp and lifeless, the life suddenly drained from her body. "Mother!" the young woman cried, and she raced to her side, sobbing uncontrollably. Pepper wanted desperately to take the young woman by the hand, to tell her everything would be all right, but she knew she couldn't. She felt herself slipping away; the room became less solid...___

"Pepper?"

She heard Albus's voice swim to the front of her consciousness as she pulled away from the memory. She could feel her feet on solid ground once more; she could see the office come into focus around her. But then, something swept a black curtain across her vision, and she felt herself sinking into another memory. This time, not from the Pensieve. This was her own memory, running through her blood, hidden away from her.

_Three women sat in a close huddle, a closeness that could only come with being family. One woman was clearly older than the others; her long brown hair was streaked with silvery gray. One woman looked to be in her late 20's, and her long brown hair tumbled in curls down her back. She tilted her head back slightly, and Pepper glimpsed eyes that were the same startling shade of gold that hers were. The other woman was younger, a girl, really, in her early teens, with black hair that hung straight and limp, nearly reaching to her toes as she sat. All three women were in a heated discussion.___

_"My visions are never wrong," the youngest said, even as she shook her long black mane furiously. "The One will come, and she will come of your bloodline, Pruedence." She seemed to be speaking to the woman who looked like Pepper. _Pruedence... _Pepper's father had always said that she had been named for her mother's relatives._ Perhaps Pruedence was her ancestor! _Pruedence looked at her sister sadly.___

_"Giselle, what are you saying? That I should not have this child, simply because your prophecy says that one of my blood will save or destroy the entire Wizarding World?" Pruedence asked defiantly. The youngest girl, Giselle, lowered her head, clearly upset by the words her sister had spoken. Seeing her distress, their mother stepped in.___

_"I do not believe that is what Giselle is saying, child. We do not know if this One Who Burns will be in this generation or in many generations to come. Nor do we know if the child will really destroy the Wizarding World. The prophecy claims that it is the One Who Burns responsibility to save us all," Their mother spoke kindly. Giselle stared at her sister hopefully and Pruedence nodded an apology. Satisfied, their mother continued. "We must take every precaution, then, to protect those of your line, those who will continue the name of Pyramus." For the first time, Pepper noticed the glint of a ruby necklace around her neck.___

_Suddenly, a chill wind blew, sending Pepper's hair flying out behind her. The other two women paid it no mind; they continued their conversation despite the chill. But the youngest, Giselle, stiffened slightly in her seat. She turned her head, and her eyes bored into Pepper's. They were a deep violet, and when she spoke, her voice sounded the same as the dying woman's had. "_You_" she said, in a voice even colder than the wind as she stared Pepper down. "_The One Who Burns... Burns As The Phoenix._"___

Pepper felt herself return to her own body in a sudden shock of warmth and sound and light. Her eyes were wide open, unseeing, then she blinked and everything came into sharper focus. She was aware of green lights shining above her face, before she realized that they were Albus's eyes as he hovered above her, his expression one of pained concern.

"Are you alright?" he asked urgently. Pepper shrugged. She felt alright, physically. Nothing injured or sore. But mentally, she was still reeling from what she had seen. She was only vaguely aware of Albus chattering way at her. "You seemed to be coming out of your trance, but then all of a sudden you were back into it, and you were shaking and I couldn't wake you..." Albus was near hysterics. "Anyway, Sacha sent me the signal a few minutes ago. Assembly's over, McGonagall's on her way!"

Pepper shuddered back into herself. She registered Albus's words, and felt a twinge of panic. She surveyed the room around her: the open cabinet, the unstoppered bottle, the smug hat. "We have to get out of her before McGonagall arrives!"

"Don't bother. She's already here."

Pepper suppressed another shudder as she turned towards the sharp, stern voice. Standing in the doorway was Headmistress McGonagall, swathed in black robes. And she did not look happy.


	18. Chapter Seventeen: The One Who Burns

**Wow, you guys loveme more than I deserve :) Thanks to _I'm-a-muppet-of-a-girl _, _SilverPhoenixFire2000 _and _AirStarShine _for favouriting and reviewing, you make me smile:) This is the second last chapter, and I already have the sequel underway.**

**Another apology for such short chapters. I'm working on it for the second book. :S**

* * *

"You ought to be ashamed of yourselves!" Headmistress McGonagall reprimanded them in her best lecturing tone. Disapproval rolled off her in waves, and her eyes raked over Pepper and Albus in a way that made them feel even more ashamed. "You, of all people, Mr. Potter, should know the importance of the ceremony today," McGonagall glared at Albus directly. Albus shuffled his feet and lowered his head. "Many people died to help your father, and it is because of their sacrifice that you stand here today. I should think you would be more conscious of that."

Albus glanced up briefly at her harsh words, but he wouldn't meet McGonagall's hard stare. "I'm sorry ma'am," he mumbled.

Professor McGonagall nodded coldly, then turned to Pepper. Pepper was tempted to stare at her own feet, as Albus was, but instead she met the Headmistress's gaze steadily. "Miss Zaniel, I expected more from you. You're a model student, an excellent friend, and a credit to Gryffindor House. I would never have thought you would dare to violate the private offices of one of your professors, let alone the Headmistress."

Pepper steeled her voice and said," Ma'am, you're a brilliant witch, and a credit to this school. But I would never have anticipated that you would lie to a student." Albus gasped quietly, and stared at Pepper as if she were a crazed lunatic. His eyes begged the question _Do you have some kind of death wish? _Pepper ignored him, and she raised her chin defiantly as she met McGonagall's stare. To her surprise, the Headmistress did not fly into a rage and sentence Pepper to a years worth of detentions. Her mouth twisted into a rueful smile, and she almost laughed.

"Exactly like your mother," she muttered under breath, but Pepper could hear her clearly. Above McGonagall's head, the Sorting Hat scoffed, a short burst of laughter in agreeance.

"You told me that you couldn't tell me anything about my ability for the time being. You refused to give me any answers. So I had no choice but to find them myself," Pepper said stubbornly, and she thrust an accusing finger towards the Pensieve behind her. "What was that? That prophecy? What does it mean, and why am I a part of it?" Pepper demanded. The Headmistress opened her mouth hesitantly, but Pepper cut her off before she could refuse. "I know you know. Don't lie to me again."

McGonagall raise her brows at Pepper demanding tone. She was clearly unaccustomed to being given orders by a student, but she didn't reprimand Pepper. She almost looked amused, but behind that was the same fear, sadness, and the same pity on her face as the other night. _"In triumph, darkness shall rise again. Servant as Master, Death loses hold_," McGonagall quoted. "_Darkness falls at the hand of the Dark Lady," _McGonagall sharp, green-eyed stare focused on Pepper intensely. "_And the One Who Burns as the Phoenix shall come." __  
_  
Beside her, Pepper heard Albus gasp, his expression shocked. The Headmistress focused her calculating gaze on him, and Pepper saw Albus shrink back from the intensity of her stare. "_Beside her stands the Son of Lightning," _Albus's eyes shot straight up into his hairline, his face shocked. Headmistress McGonagall turned to Pepper again. "_And she shall have power that evil knows not. Her choice alone to save or destroy."__  
_  
"The One Who Burns, Burns as the Phoenix, shall come," Pepper finished in a whisper. Her ruby necklace flared with sudden heat on her neck, given a sense of conviction to the words she had spoken. Headmistress McGonagall nodded solemnly to Pepper, who stared at her with open mouthed shock. "But why me?" Pepper asked. McGonagall sighed.

"The prophecy is older than you might think. The memory you say in the Pensieve was from 1868. The celebrated Seer, Cassandra Trelawney, made that prophecy just before she died. Research has shown, however, that the original prophecy was in fact spoken millenia ago, by a member of the Original family," McGonagall fixed Pepper with another stare. "The Pyramus family."

Pepper drew in a breath sharply, and recalled the second memory that had come to her after exiting the Pensive. It was a memory from a dream of sorts, a memory of her bloodline long ago. "Giselle," she whispered. McGonagall raised her eyes in surprise.

"Yes. Giselle was the first known Seer. Her mother and father, Mayella and Holger, are thought to be the first witch and wizard, as far as history can tell us. They had a total of seven children, each child became the beginning of their own line of witches and wizards. Purebloods," McGonagall scoffed. "Go far enough back in history, and no ones blood is entirely pure. Except the Pyramus line, and the children of Holger and Mayella's eldest child, Pruedence." McGonagall explained.

"Pruedence is my middle name," Pepper said plainly. "She was my ancestor?" McGonagall nodded.

"Pruedence's first born, Perseus, was the greatest wizard of his time. Each generation of Pyramus wizard was stronger than the previous. This is because the magical blood of the firstborn Pyramus descendants was never diluted by Muggle blood. Every firstborn Pyramus was destined to become the greatest witch or wizard of their time," McGonagall explained, and Pepper almost reeled with the shock of knowing that she was destined to be greater than any wizard or witch in her generation.

"But the line died out, didn't it?" Albus spoke up, the first words he had said in several minutes.

"So it was thought. Around the 14th century, it was believed that the firstborn Pyramus, Phineas, had been killed. People gave up all hope that the magical blood would resurface... until your mother." Pepper raised an eyebrow in surprise. "She was a brilliant witch, your mother. And a hope for everyone who thought our most notable magical heritage had ceased to exist."

"What does this have to do with the prophecy?" Pepper asked.

McGonagall sighed. "You weren't supposed to know about the prophecy until you were older. We weren't even certain that you would be the One Who Burns. It could have been anyone in your family line."

"We?"

"Professor Dumbledore and myself. It was he who recovered the memory of the prophecy from Helen Trelawney, and who researched the family line," McGonagall explained. Pepper noted the name of the greatest sorcerer of his time. She was both confused and flattered that he would have taken such an interest in her. "Dumbledore died long before you were born, of course, but he suspected that your mother, Portia, would be the parent to the child of the prophecy."

Pepper was only confused now. "So... Giselle made the original prophecy?"

"She foresaw that a child of great power would be born of the line of her eldest sister. She also foresaw that that child would be the savior of all Wizarding kind in a time of great darkness... or else their destroyer." McGonagall said, and her tone was appraising as she examined Pepper.

Pepper felt the sting of tears suddenly spring to her eyes. She was breathing heavily, and she resisted the urge to burst into tears and have a fit, right there in front of her Headmistress and her best friend. She felt overwhelmed, even more so than when she had suddenly discovered that she was a witch, or that she came from a deeply magical family. Now, she knew that she had been gifted with a strange and dangerous power. And it was her responsibility to save the world. Before she destroyed it.

Pepper was aware of Albus's hand resting soothingly on her shoulder. For a moment, she was tempted to push it away, to refuse his comfort. But instead she steeled herself again. "Well," she said breathlessly. "This certainly isn't what I was expecting."

McGonagall looked at her with pity and with sympathy. "I thought you would have more time, before your gift surfaced," she explained. "Time to be a child, to explore the wonders of Hogwarts and the Wizarding world. I hoped that you would have learned this when you were older, and more mature. But the cats out of the bag now, and I will do anything in my power to help you in this."

Her unprecedented display of affection and encouragement surprised Pepper. She rubbed her hand furiously against her face, rubbing her tears away. "I appreciate it," she said, and she meant it. "If you don't mind..."

"I'll excuse you from your classes today," the Headmistress understood immediately. "Mr. Potter please escort Miss Zaniel back to her dormitory." Pepper saw Albus nod, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Pepper concentrated on her breathing as he led her out of the office and towards her warm, four-poster bed in the Gryffindor dormitory. Pepper felt as if she could still see McGonagall's pitying gaze, and the weight of the world was suddenly upon her shoulders.


	19. Chapter 18: The Beginning In The End

**Gosh, you guys are really great to me.**

**Shout out to SilverPheonixFire2000, I love that you love my story :)**

**kamion - Thanks for the constructive criticism. I am in total agreeance with you, Pepper does come off as really goody-goody and I hate it when my characters do that. To be honest, I'm a little bit stuck with her.I have some character flaws planned for future books: jealousy, anger managment and some MAJOR mommy issues; but for the time being I'm stuck. Any ideas? :S**

**BookFreak112233 - You are the greatest! Thank you very muchly! Yes, Pepper is going to meet Harry, although as of yet, nothing is planed between the two of them until the third book. I'll see where the next one takes me.**

**Here it is. The last chapter. Dun dun dun...**

* * *

The air was hazy with steam that puffed in thick clouds from the Hogwarts Express. Students pressed against each other, trying to force their way on to the train and into the best compartments. The conductor was calling for all the remaining students to board the train. Pepper observed all of this from the misted-over window of her compartment. Through the haze of steam that settled over everything, she could see students saying their farewells to the school, to the village of Hogsmeade, and to their friends that they wouldn't be seeing until the next year.

"It's not goodbye forever, you know," Albus spoke reassuringly. Pepper turned around in her seat. Albus leaned against the door frame to the compartment, his trunk resting on his leg. "Mind if I sit with you?" he gestured at the empty compartment around her. Pepper shook her head, and Albus hoisted his trunk onto the overhead rack with a grunt. He sat down across from her, and leaned towards her almost unconsciously. His face was a question. Pepper sighed.

"I know it's not goodbye forever. That's not why I'm sad." Pepper clarified. "It's just that... everyone seems so normal. Here we are, leaving magic school for the summer, and everyone behaves like it's completely normal to be different."

"There's nothing wrong with being different," Albus smiled at her. "There's nothing wrong with being special."

"Yeah, 'special' is the word I would use for it," Pepper placed air quotes around the word.

"What's really bothering you?" Albus didn't look convinced by her sarcastic air.

'It's nothing, Al," Pepper averted her eyes. She couldn't trust herself to lie to him if he stared at her with that piercing green stare of his. "Drop it."

"I'm not dropping it. Something's obviously upsetting you, and I jus want you to know that I'm here for you. You can trust me." No one could have doubted the sincerity of his tone, but Pepper still stared away determinedly.

"I know, Al, but this just isn't something I want to talk about right now." She said it with an air of finality, but Albus wasn't going to give up and she knew it. He was almost as stubborn as she was.

"Something's clearly wrong, Pepper, and I'm offering to help," Albus grabbed her hand, and Pepper turned to look at him. "Which you're refusing. It doesn't make any sense to me"

"Nothing makes any sense to me anymore!" Pepper burst loudly. She ignored Albus's look of mild satisfaction; if he wanted to know what was wrong with her, he could stop looking so smug and deal with it. "I'm a witch! I thought I was a normal kid, but I'm not! And then, just when I thought I could be a normal witch, if such a thing exists, I find out that I'm really an uber-powerful super witch from an ancient family, destined to save the world! I'm an abnormality in a sea of abnormalities!" Pepper breathed in sharply through her nose, pinching the bridge between her fingers.

Albus's expression remained vaguely amused throughout her little rant, but his eyes showed his true concern beneath his bemused smile. When she had finished, he looked at her hand in his and squeezed it kindly. "There's nothing wrong with being what you are," he said. "You aren't abnormal, you're unique. You aren't 'special'," Albus smiled at the use of air quotations, "you're wonderful. And you aren't a freak. You're my friend."

Pepper looked at Albus's smiling face. He really had become her friend; her best friend. The first true friend she had ever had. And the others as well: Sacha, with his witty remarks and quirky behaviour; Grape, with her kind heart and innocent ways; Rose, with her quiet mannerisms and reassurances; Cameron, with his unwavering friendship and understanding; even Mikaela, with her fierce loyalty and her protective attitude, hidden beneath her sceptical and snide remarks. Pepper had never had friends before; people had always been too frightened of her. But at Hogwarts, she had found somewhere she belonged. As much as anyone could belong, really.

"Even if I accidentally set fire to your eyebrows someday?" Pepper questioned, a small smile tugging at her lips. Albus laughed.

"Even then." His bright green eyes sparkled with his amusement. His grip on her hand tightened, and Pepper held his hand there, revelling in his closeness and his friendship. They sat like that for a moment, until a small cough from outside the compartment surprised them.

"Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt the tender moment there."

Pepper rolled her eyes, without even looking at who it was. Sacha grinned impishly, and hoisted his trunk up next to Albus's. There was a small squeak as Grape tried to do the same, but she could barely lift her trunk off the ground. Albus squeezed Peppers hand tightly, then let go as he stood to give Grape a hand. Pepper leaned back in her seat, and cocked her head towards the door. Cameron, Rose, and Mikaela were waiting in a cue to get inside the compartment with their trunks. Mikaela was watching Pepper intently, and when Pepper met her eyes, she raised one brow, and shifted her gaze between Pepper and Albus. Pepper grinned sheepishly, and Mikaela grinned back.

Sacha flopped himself down onto the seat beside Pepper. "I swear, my trunk's gotten even heavier! If I have to pack anymore books next year, I'm gonna pass out from exhaustion!" He grinned as Grape stifled a giggle behind her hands.

"Maybe it wouldn't do you any harm to lift weights this summer, Sacha? Then you could lift your trunk without sounding like my Gram after a run," Mikaela smirked, and she lifted her trunk effortlessly onto the rack. Sacha scowled, and Cameron and Albus howled with laughter as they watch Sacha's embarrassment at being chewed out and upstaged by a girl.

"Just you wait, Mikaela. A few years, and I'll be able to pick you up and throw you onto that rack up there," Sacha harrumphed, struggling to look dignified. No one bought it, and soon the compartment was filled with laughter as Sacha struggled and failed to keep his cheeks from burning red. Grape was practically crying and rolling on the floor, breathless as she shook with la giggling fit that racked her entire body. "Laugh it up now," Sacha frowned.

Pepper struggled to stop her giggling fit as she wrapped an arm around Sacha's shoulders. "You know we only tease you because we love you."

"Yeah, right," Sacha rolled his eyes, but he was struggling not to smile back at her.

"No, really," Pepper's eyes widened in mock innocence. "You're just so amazing and incredible, so we make fun of you so that you don't get to much of an ego."

"Of course! You're all jealous of my awesomeness," Sacha cracked up. They all laughed again, until the sudden shudder of movement underneath their feet meant the train's engine was starting up. Pepper turned back to the window, and pressed herself up against the cool glass once more. The station was entirely empty, except for one person. Professor Longbottom stood near the castle gates, his eyes sweeping the length of the train. His gaze fell on Pepper, and he smiled brightly at her, and winked. Pepper smiled back, and raised her hand in farewell. Then the train lurched forward, pulling out of Hogsmeade, and Professor Longbottom turned to head back towards the school.

Pepper settled back into her seat. The seven friends were silent a moment, all staring out the window as Hogsmeade, and the last traces of the castle, disappeared from view, only to be replaced with the rolling hills and green meadows of the Scottish countryside. Pepper was swept with a sudden feeling of nostalgia. Then Grape spoke, in a hushed whisper.

"It's not the end, you know."

Pepper turned to look at her smallest friend. Grape was looking directly at Pepper, but her eyes were unfocused, almost as if she were looking right through Pepper, through the window, past everything that was now flying past the moving train, and right into the distant future. Her eyes, normally a deep blue colour that was so close to black, were tinged with a violet light. She almost smiled, but it looked off too, almost frightening. Pepper fought off an urge to shiver in revulsion.

"In fact," Grape intoned, "it's only the beginning."

Grape blinked suddenly, and her eyes refocused, then she laughed, a bright bubbling of laughter, and the others joined in, chuckling and giggling. Then Sacha pulled out a pack of Exploding Snap. Hollers and shouts of excitement echoed all around Pepper, and she smiled as her friends crowded around the game. She shuffled over in her seat closer to the window, and looked out.

In the gathering dark, she could just see her reflection staring back at her. Her dark hair fell in untamed curls around her shoulders, and her golden colored eyes, the eyes of her ancestor, Pruedence, stared back at her intently. Her fingers touched the ruby charm in the hollow of her throat, and Pepper heard the whispers of the flames around her, and the whispers of all her Pyramus ancestors throughout the ages. Whatever would happen, she knew she would always have them with her, guiding and protecting her.

_Grape's right, she thought. __It is only the beginning._

* * *

**How's that for a semi-dramatic ending :P**

**Thanks to everyone who had read this. Do you like? Should I continue the series? (I probably will anyways, but alittle incentive never hurts :P) Any ideas for the next book? Jokes, character favourites, etc... And just who the hell is the Dark Lady?**

**I already have the first few chapters of Burns As The Phoenix: Book The Second written, but I probably won'tget them up until mid August. I'm skipping town for a month in a few weeks time, but maybe I'll but the prologue to the sequel upbefore Igo, just to torture y'all. Mwahahaha.**

**See ya!**


	20. Sequel Up!

**Hello!**

**I'm leaving for the summer tomorrow, but I have decided to post the first chapter of the sequel to Burns As The Phoenix: Book The First**

**Because I'm evil like that.**

**Mwahahahahahahaha!**

**Anyways, Enjoy!**

**-Skyelah**


End file.
